


The Mystery Shack Spooks

by DP_Marvel94



Category: Danny Phantom, Gravity Falls
Genre: Clone Angst, Friendship, Gen, Mystery Character(s), The Mystery Shack is haunted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:20:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28303704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DP_Marvel94/pseuds/DP_Marvel94
Summary: Elle Fenton had hoped for a normal summer, a chance to make normal friends with people who know nothing about her crazy family, ghosts, or, most importantly, her status as a clone. But ghosts always seem to find her, even in Gravity Falls. Now the Mystery Shack is haunted by a unknown apparition with an unknown connection to Dipper and Mabel, and to Elle herself. The half ghost struggles to open up to her new friends and to find a way to help this lonely ghost.
Relationships: Danielle "Dani" Phantom & Dipper Pines
Comments: 46
Kudos: 86





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [deuynndrabbles (kyoukaalldey)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyoukaalldey/gifts).



> Welcome to my Holiday Truce Story! My giftee was Deuynndrabbles who asked for a Gravity Falls crossover and some clone angst so I came up with this. It's my first crossover and I've never written anything for Gravity Falls before so I hope I did Dipper and Mabel justice.  
> I'll also note, this story turned into a bit of a monster so here's part 1 but I have a lot more written. Part 2 will be posted in a few days.

Elle’s life was weird. It’s not surprising, considering who and what the apparent thirteen year old was. The half ghost clone of another half ghost, made in a lab by yet another half ghost. A clone who’d been adopted by her original’s ghost hunting parents after Danny told them about his powers. It was enough to give anyone a headache….and the occasional identity crisis. 

All the same, Elle was happy. Jack and Maddie Fenton, her new parents, were great- loving, supportive, striving to understand her. Her siblings, Jazz and Danny, were wonderful- both fun, at times overprotective. She could not ask for a better sister and brother. But being a clone of someone was hard. Being seen as a copy, even unintentionally, was harder.

And that’s why she’s so lucky, Elle thought as her bus passed the sign for the next town. It had taken a lot of convincing, with Jazz’s psychological persuasion and Danny’s arguing for her, but Jack and Maddie agreed to let her spend the summer away from Amity Park. They’d got up with an old contact across the country, a fellow paranormal researcher who happened to have a niece and a nephew about her age. Kids her age! Elle beamed at the thought. Potential friends who don’t know about her whole history, her powers, or her status as clone.

“Next stop, Gravity Falls!” The bus driver exclaimed, drawing Elle’s attention.

She looked out the window again, taking in the scene. There were so many trees! And they’re so tall! Excitement grew as the bus pulled around a corner and started slowing down. The vehicle turned into a parking lot and came to a stop. Smiling, Elle stood up. She grabbed her bags and walked off the bus. Her eyes fell on a large, pink, glitter covered sign. It read ‘Welcome Elle Fenton.” Behind the sign, a girl, with long brown hair and braces and wearing a sweater with a shooting star, waved. A boy wearing a vest and a baseball cap with a pine tree stood beside her. A pair of gray-haired older men also stood with the kids.

Elle practically bounced forward, waving herself. “Hi! I’m Elle!”

The girl in the sweater grinned. “Hi! I’m Mabel.” She motioned to the boy. “And this is my brother, Dipper.”

Dipper nodded. “It’s nice to meet you.”

One of the men, the one wearing a tan trench coat and a red turtleneck, stepped forward and held out his hand. “Greetings. My name is Ford Pines. Your parents told me to expect you.” He offered a kind smile as Elle shook his hand. 

“And I’m Stan.” The final person of the group said. He swung his keys around one finger. “Come on kids.” 

Elle followed the group to an old-looking, red convertible. She grinned as Mabel rambled excitedly about plans for the summer. The halfa could already feel, it was gonna be a good one.

* * *

Elle started picking up on the strangeness almost as soon as they pulled out of the parking lot. She gazed out the window. There was something eerie about the trees, the dark shadows between them. Her skin prickled with the feeling of eyes on her. Meanwhile, snippets of Dipper and Mabel’s conversation rose her eyebrow. Gnomes, zombies, and lake monsters. Possession, dream demons, and something called a multi-bear. And...ghosts.

The half ghost turned at the word. “What about ghosts?” She asked cautiously.

The twins turned to look at her. “Oh, we were just talking about last summer.” Mabel said casually. “A lot of crazy stuff happened.”

“That’s an understatement.” Dipper chuckled, though it carried little humor. “We saw and met a bunch of supernatural creatures, solved mysteries. We even saved the world.”

Elle rose a brow. “So a completely normal summer?” She said teasingly. Dipper and Mabel both laughed, this time more authentically. The black-haired girl gave a snort, grinning before her expression sobered slightly. “But seriously, what about ghosts?”

The boy started explaining. “Me, Mabel, and some friends hung out in a haunted conscience store.”

“I got high on Smile Dip.” Mabel added excitedly.

Dipper shook his head. “The ghosts of this old couple attacked us. One of them possessed Mabel and to get them to stop I….” The boy blushed. “Let’s just say, I figured out how to get us out of there.”

Elle blinked, eyes widening at the story. “Wow, that’s….” She had no words, the reality hitting her. Her seemingly normal summer… no ghosts or weirdness, making friends with normal kids….that was not gonna happen, was it? The corner of her lip turned down. “That’s something.”

Mabel's smile fell slightly. “It turned out okay. Everyone was fine.” She comforted, clearly interpreting the other girl’s change in attitude as worry.

“That’s good.” Elle forced a smile on her face. “But you had a fun time despite….” She trailed off.

“It was awesome!” Mabel’s face lite up.

“And this summer’s gonna be awesome too.” Dipper added. “I want to….” The boy continued, talking about the things he wanted to do and see.

At the same time, Elle mulled over the words. Ghosts….ghosts do always seem to follow her. She sighed. What else could she expect? She wasn’t exactly normal but...at least, she was making some friends who are used to weirdness. 

Five minutes later, the car pulled up to an old, rickedly looking building. 

“We’re here!” Mabel exclaimed as Dipper opened the door.

Elle opened her own door and stepped out of the car. Taking in the building in front of her, she noted the sign on the front that read, ‘The Mystery Shack’.

Mabel scooted out of the vehicle, her eyes widening. “Waddles! What are you doing out here?” She bounded forward, grabbing a small pink pig waddling towards the group.

“Come on.” Dipper motioned to the black-haired girl. “I’ll show you around.” Elle nodded and followed the boy as they crossed the yard and the porch. “So like the sign says, this is the Mystery Shack.”

Dipper opened the door, letting Elle pass in front of him. As soon as the girl crossed the threshold, the hair on the back of her neck rose as her core pulsed. A wave of cold flowed through her, filling her lungs. The girl frowned; it was almost like her ghost sense going off but not quite. 

“What is it?” The boy’s sudden question got her attention.

Elle blushed at her spaciness. “Oh I..uhh...I need to use the restroom.” She stuttered, coming up with an excuse.

Dipper also blushed. “Oh….It’s this way.” 

He walked her to the bathroom door and Elle ducked in, locking the door. Whatever that was that triggered her ghost sense, she should see what it is. The girl triggered her core. White rings formed around her waist. They traveled up and down her body, replacing her jeans and hoodie with a black and white hazmat suit. For a moment, Elle studied herself in the mirror. The white hair, green eyes, her suit with the same symbol as on Danny’s. She half-smiled; the accents were different from his and to her happiness, they figured out how to modify it so no more crop top! 

Elle flickered invisible and intangible as she phased through the door. She frowned, taking in the giftshop. Everything appeared normal, for a wacky tourist trap at least. Taking a breath, the halfa set her attention inward. Her core sensed….something but from what direction? Tentatively, she reached out with her ghost sense. There!

A signature flickered in her perception. She flew up, following the feeling. Elle passed through the ceiling to the second floor. She glanced side to side. Where… The cold billowed in her lungs again. She looked up. Whatever it was, it was in the room above her. She flew farther up and phased into a room with a sloping ceiling and triangle shaped window. 

There! Over the bed on the left, the air shimmered with something insubstantial, a hint of blue and white and….Elle blinked and the thing was gone. She floated forward, grasping at the air but nothing. She frowned; even the feeling of cold was gone.

Elle floated around the room for another minute, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Two beds laid on either side of the room. If she had to guess, based on the pink and glittery posters on the right and the pile of books on the left, this was the twin’s room, meaning whatever that...ghost (?) was, it was floating over Dipper’s bed.

With the signature gone, the halfa soon gave up. She did need to be getting back to her new friends. Still invisible, she phased through the floor and back into the bathroom. 

Dipper asked through the door. “Elle? Are you alright? You’ve been in there a-”

At the same time, Elle reappeared in the visual spectrum. With a flash of light, she returned to human form and opened the door.

The boy blinked at her sudden appearance. “Oh…what was that flash of light?” He questioned.

“What flash of light?” Elle responded, deliberately playing dumb.

Dipper gave her a skeptical look. “Really? You didn’t see that?”

The girl blinked. “See what?”

The other teen shook his head. “Nevermind. Let’s start that tour.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.” Elle answered, almost imperceptibly relaxing. It looked like he bought it...or at least decided to not push. With that thought, the girl quickly forgot the interaction as Dipper showed her around.

* * *

Gravity Falls was in fact as strange as Elle thought. In the first week and a half, the girl had already seen gnomes, crystals that make things change size, a video game come to life, a herd of manotaurs (menotaur?), and Bigfoot. Oh, and she was pretty sure the Mystery Shack was haunted.

“Mabel! Have you seen my journal?” Dipper shouted from the kitchen. “I could have sworn, I left it right here.” Elle looked up from where she had been reading on the couch as he pointed at a spot on the table.

“Haven’t seen it.” Mabel answered, from where she’s drawing on the floor. She reached forward, hand grabbing in the air. Then she looked up. “Where’s my glitter?” The girl’s eyes flickered across the room, searching, before settling on the tv. “How did it get on the tv stand?”

As Mabel stood to retrieve the glitter, Elle frowned, looking between the two siblings. This kept happening- things being misplaced and moved, nonsensically. She would think it was typical sibling pranks but…Dipper hadn’t come into the living room since Mabel used that glitter five minutes ago. And Mabel hadn’t stood up to go to the kitchen during that time. No, this seemed to be something distinctly more supernatural.

“Come on! Where is it?” Dipper paced. “I left it right here!”

As the boy became increasingly panicked, Elle stood up. “Maybe I can help you find it. What does it look like?”

The other teen turned to her. “It’s blue with a tree on the front.” He shook his head. “It’s got all my notes in it.” His speech quickened as he explained. “Ford’s journals got destroyed last year, so I’m trying to write down everything I remember from them. Plus what happened last year and anything else I learn. I have to find it!”

As Dipper rambled, he paced and Elle searched. The shelves, the kitchen counters, the top of the fridge, the table in the chairs. No, Nope, no journal. She walked past Dipper to look on an end table. Nope, nothing. 

She turned back around, back towards the kitchen counter. “I’ll try in the….”

Elle trailed off, eyes widening. There on the counter laid Dipper’s journal with the pages splayed open. On the page was a drawing that looked very much like a person with a bedsheet over their head. The heading read ‘Ghosts.’ The girl furrowed her brow. Ghosts….she had thought she’d sensed one when she first arrived, and with all the objects disappearing and being moved….

Something cold brushed past her, raising the hair on her arms. Her core flickered and cold air rushed into her lungs. Her eyes fluttered around the room, searching for shimmering air, a hint of mist. “Who are you?” She muttered under her breath. Something fuzzy and blue flashed in the corner of her eye.

Elle’s heart pounded at the sudden sight. In a blink, she whipped to the side, eyes falling on…..Dipper?

The boy blinked, nose wrinkling with confusion at her expression. “What is it?”

Elle opened and closed her mouth but before she could respond, Dipper’s eyes lit up. “You found it.”

As he stepped forward to retrieve his journal, the girl turned back around. Her eyes widened again. This time, the book was on a different page. 

“The Cloning Copy Machine?” She questioned quietly.

Dipper glanced at her, answering her curiosity. “Yeah, last year Stan fixed this copy machine upstairs and Mabel and I used it to make copies of a flier for this party and I kinda found out-”

Mabel cut him off. “Bro-bro, you’re telling her about the time we made a copy of your arm and it attacked us, aren’t you?” At some point, the girl had stood up and joined the pair in the kitchen.

The boy rolled his eyes. “It didn’t attack us.” He turned to Elle, explaining. “We copied my arm with the machine and it kinda… crawled off the page and moved towards us.”

Elle’s face grew increasingly pale and disturbed.

“We spilled some water on it and it melted.” Mabel added helpfully.

The half ghost blinked, taking in this information. She shivered, unsure if the reaction was from the ‘cloning’, the idea of a moving disembodied arm, or melting.

The other girl clearly didn’t register her reaction. “Come on! Let’s show her.” Mabel exclaimed.

“I don’t think that-” Dipper started.

But before he could finish, Mabel was pulling Elle up the stairs. They passed through a doorway with Dipper following behind.

“Ta-da.” The sweater-wearing girl motioned to an ancient-looking copy machine. A sign was taped to the side in Dipper’s handwriting. ‘Do not use under any circumstances.’ Mabel ripped off the sign. “You wanna copy your arm?”

Elle shook her head. “I’m good.”

“Come on. You know what, I’ll do it.” Mabel tapped her chin. “I could copy all of me.” She grinned. “Imagine it! A whole army of Mabel clones!”

At the word clone, the halfa’s heart sank. “Please, no.”

Dipper shook his head. “No, not after….” His voice quieted. “What happened the last time.”

His sister blinked, suddenly confused. “Last time? What do you mean?”

“I made a bunch of clones of me. I told you that, remember?” He looked down, biting his lip. “With how badly it went...it’s probably not a good idea.”

Dread balled in Elle’s gut. Clones….he...he made…. She pulled her eyes away from the cursed machine and stared at the boy. “You cloned yourself? Why would you do that?” Just a hint of hurt entered her voice.

Dipper rubbed the back of his neck. “So...there was this party and I wanted to dance with this girl I had a crush on.” He blushed. “I got stuck working the entrance table so I used the copier so I could go to the dance and my clone could work the table….” 

He trailed off and Mabel elbowed him. “Tell her about what happened next.”

The boy glared at his sister but continued. “I had this convoluted plan to dance with Wendy and stuff kept getting in the way so...I ended up making like ten clones to stick to the plan.”

Elle paled. Ten...ten clones. Ten. Made to fulfill a preteen’s convoluted plan. Vastly different from why and how she was made but…. Her heart skipped a beat; she couldn’t help but think about Vlad and the other clones, her brothers. 

She grimaced, balling her fists in the sleeves of her hoodie. “What happened to them?”

“They turned on me.” He said, voice sober. “I went against the plan so they locked me in the closet so one of them could dance with Wendy. I got out. We all ended up fighting each other and I…. I set the sprinkler off so all but one melted.”

The halfa’s blood ran cold, sudden anger flaring in her. “You melted them?” She gritted her teeth, feeling neon green bleeding into her eyes before she shut them. “How...how could you?”

Dipper stepped back, caught off guard by her sudden anger. “Elle?”

“Do you think they were just...they were just toys for you to play with? Just tools for you to use? Do you even care that they me-” Her voice broke. 

She couldn’t force out the word, she couldn’t. They...they melted like she...like she had, like her clone brothers had. She’d come back from the brink but….dripping green, ectoplasm flashed through her mind. The prime clone (Daniel, he’d had a name, a name like she did) on the floor, his face marred with pain and fear.

Dipper’s hand appeared on her shoulder. Though his brow remained wrinkled in confusion, his expression was soft. “I know they weren’t. I know I shouldn’t have used the copier, definitely not for that.” He glanced at the machine. “That’s why I don’t want anyone to ever use it. And I…” He bit his lip, eyes downcast. “I never want to see another clone melt again, especially not after Ty...Tyrone.”

Elle’s glance whipped up at the name. “Tyrone? Whose…” She tilted her head, trying to put the pieces together. “Wait...you…named one of them?”

The corner of Dipper’s lip turned up but his eyes remained fixed on the floor. “We picked out his name together actually. But yeah...Tyrone was the first one. He was a cool dude.”

Something in the statement, the hint of affection, softened Elle’s heart. “What happened to him?”

Dipper looked up, his lip falling again. “We went up to the roof to talk.” He wrung his hands. “Both of us realized the crazy plan messed things up with Wendy so we were going to hang out. We were sharing a soda and...he..” His voice cracked. “He melted from the inside out.”

Heavy silence fell after that, Mabel not even having anything to say. Meanwhile, Elle studied the boy, the fall of his shoulders, the sadness in his eyes. Was that...guilt? Grief?

Dipper finally chuckled humorlessly. “I can’t believe I told you all that. I’ve...I’ve barely talked about it since it happened, especially about Tyrone. But...I just…”

Elle looked up, heart skipping a beat. That look….she recognized it. She’d seen it on Danny’s face and her own. Her expression softened. “You miss him.”

The boy blinked, again caught off guard. “I...I don’t...I mean….I” He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at his sister. “I...I do actually.” He shook his head. “But that’s….that’s ridiculous, right? How can I basically miss myself?”

And just like that, Elle’s more forgiving attitude evaporated. She’d thought….the way he talked about the clone, the guilt and grief there, like he might have actually cared about this Tyrone. Like he could care about a clone at all. But...the question repeated in her head ‘how can I miss myself?’ Her heart clenched. Copy, that’s what he saw. Tyrone was just him, just Dipper. And if he knew the truth about her, that she was just someone else’s copy….. Elle shook her head. No, she’d been here, she’d done this before. She was not Danny and Danny was not her. She was her own person, even with her similarities to her original.

“Elle? Are you okay?” Mabel asked, getting the girl’s attention.

The half ghost blinked. “Yeah. I...I want to be alone.”

“Oh...okay?” The other girl said.

Elle turned towards the door. She could feel Dipper and Mabel’s eyes on her back, their confusion and worry at her reaction. As soon as she left the room, they would definitely be talking about her. In the doorway, the girl turned. She met Dipper’s eyes, stealing her courage. “Dipper? Tyrone was your clone but...that doesn’t mean he was you.”

The half ghost clone darted out the door before either teen could say anything.

* * *

Elle didn’t bother to open the door to her temporary bedroom, instead phasing right through. With a sigh, she slid down onto the floor and put her head in her hands.

“Stupid.” The girl muttered to herself. “Why did I react like that?” She balled her fists, annoyed at her own stupid heart. Why? Why did she have to react so strongly? “Dipper and Mabel probably think I’m crazy.” She grumbled. 

It’s not like either of the twins had any idea what that was actually about. They didn’t know what that cursed copier meant to a clone like Elle. The girl felt torn; part of her was angry that Dipper ever used the copier at all. No one should ever be made and thrown away, no matter the reason. Yet, at the same time, Dipper was a kid like her; he had little idea what he was doing when he used that machine but he seemed to understand how serious his actions were now. He seemed to almost regret what he’d done and the few words he said about Tyrone suggests he cared about the paper clone. Regretting the immoral action itself while valuing the creation, that was a promising combination. But still… all this was too similar, too close to her origin. A too painful reminder of all she’d been through.

Her heart clenched almost painfully in her chest. And the worse part? The end of the conversation. In Dipper’s mind, it would be ridiculous, it was ridiculous to miss Tyrone because he was never a real person.  _ Just like she wasn’t _ , a horrible ugly voice, that sounded far too much like Vlad, whispered

“No.” Elle put her head in her hands. “I’m…I’m real. I’m real. I’m just me, just Elle. I’m not a copy. I’m….” She gritted her teeth. “I’m not just a stupid clone.”

Suddenly, a flash of cold surged through Elle. Her head whipped up, registering her ghost sense. Her eyes widened, falling on a figure across the room. It was the ghost, the one that had been haunting the Mystery Shack. But there was something different. Instead of a shadow or a cloud of mist, this was a blueish person shaped blur, though with no discernable features.

The apparition turned. Elle shivered; somehow without visible eyes, she could tell it was looking at her. Then there was a crackling noise, something like radio static.

“What do you want?” The girl asked, an odd mix of fear and annoyance in her voice.

More static, louder. A light bulb flickered. Quickly, the figure started moving back and forth across the floor, almost like they were…pacing? Elle blinked, taking in the sight. The bubbling static continued; not words but….almost an emotion. The excitement and confusion of someone rambling.

Elle sighed. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

The figure stopped its movement, turning to face her again. The static pitched up, tone shifting into what the girl thought might be a question.

“I can’t understand you.” The girl gritted out.

The questioning static repeated, somehow more desperate, almost panicked. 

“Stop. I –“ Elle covered her ears as the attempt at speech grew louder and faster. “I can’t…Stop.” The figure floated towards her, the temperature of the room dropping. The halfa’s ghost sense surged in response.

“Stop!” The girl leapt to her feet, sudden anger flaring. “What do you want?” She demanded again, summoning the rings. With a breath, she transformed into her ghost form. She raised her fist. “If you don’t stop, I’ll….”

Elle trailed off, noticing the other ghost’s silence as they floated backwards nervously. The girl frowned; again without being able to see any facial features, she can tell that she’s being stared at in shock. 

Anger fizzling, the half ghost floated back herself. Passively, she registered the ghost’s height, about the same as Elle and the twins. 

“You’re like me?” Came the awed question.

Elle blinked, recognizing the word. Or…no, still not words but emotion so strong, solid, and specific that it drilled right into her brain and her soul understood the meaning.

The girl glanced down at herself. “Yeah…I’m a ghost like you are.”

The blurry head of the figure tilted ever of slightly. “Yes…but no….but…that’s not…” The almost words shifted back into static, away from Elle’s understanding. Quick rambling questions continued.

The girl sighed, holding up her hand. “I’m a human-ghost hybrid.” She explained, anticipating the likely question. “So I’m a ghost but I’m a human too and can change between my two forms. I’m..uhh…called Elle Phantom in that form, by the way. And other ghosts call people like me a halfa most of the time. And there’s not a lot of halfas, just me and two other people. Both of them were in accidents that changed them but I’ve always been like this ‘cause…well that’s not important. Anyway-“

The other ghost interrupted with a burst of static and Elle sighed. More questions, questions she couldn’t hope to understand.

“Look.” The girl pinched the bridge of her nose. “I still can’t tell what you’re saying. I have no idea why but…maybe you can tell me your name?”

The static cut off and there was a pause for a moment as the figure considered. “T-“ There was a crackle and a pop, cutting through the word.

“I didn’t catch that.” Elle crossed her arms.

“T-“

A knock on the door interrupted the sound, startling Elle and the other ghost apparently. The figure wavered for a moment, form jolting before dissolving into mist. 

“Elle? Can we come in?” Dipper asked from the other side of the door.

The girl took a breath, trying to coax her heart rate down. With a flash, she turned back into a human. 

“You can come-“ Before she even finished the statement, the door swung open.

“I’m so sorry, Elle.” Mabel said. 

At the same time, Dipper wrinkled his nose. “What was-“

He trailed off as his sister continued. “If I knew the copier would make you upset, I wouldn’t have showed it to you.”

The halfa shook her head. “It’s okay. I…I’m sorry I overreacted.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” Dipper said. “It’s okay.”

“No. I shouldn’t have yelled at you guys. It’s just..it reminded me of some stuff-” She suddenly cut herself off, blushing nervously.

The twins looked at each other, sharing cautious and worried looks of their friend. Across from the pair, Elle shifted nervously. Her eyes trailed around the room, anywhere but her new friends’ eyes. Her brows then furrowed as her gaze fell on a spot several feet to Dipper’s right. A mist wavered, like…the ghost is still here. The girl tried not to visibly frown. Could Dipper and Mabel not see it?

“You don’t have to talk about it.” Mabel finally spoke quietly.

Caught out of her thoughts, Elle looked back at the other girl. “Huh?” 

“You don’t have to tell us why you got upset.” The brown-haired girl clarified.

“But you can talk to me if you want to.” Dipper said kindly.

“Or me. You can talk to either of us, if you want to.” Mabel added.

“Okay…yeah.” Elle considered the words. Mabel’s apology, the patience and understanding. Neither came in here demanding information, neither acted like she was weird or making a big deal of nothing because of what she said. She sighed. “I’ll think about.” And she would.

“So we’re good?” The boy questioned.

“Yeah. We’re good.” The half ghost nodded.

“Good!” Mabel beamed. “Come on, I’ve gotta finish my poster! Elle, you can help me.”

“Sure.” The girl shrugged.

As the trio exited the room, Elle casted a glance over her shoulder at the wavering mist that was the Shack’s other resident ghost. She blinked and it disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued....


	2. Chapter 2

The ghost did not in fact disappear. In fact, it seemed to appear more often, to Elle at least. Based on the lack of reactions from the other people in the house, the half ghost was 90% sure she was the only one who could see it, though everyone had noticed things going missing and being moved. Based on occasional shivers, they noticed the dips in temperature as well. All the same, Elle appeared to be on her own for now when dealing with the increasingly talkative ghost.

The half ghost groaned into her pillow. “I have to sleep you know.” She cast one eye onto the indistinct figure floating beside her bed.

Static crackled as the blurry outline of an arm reached to rub an equally blurry neck. 

Elle raised a brow at the display. “Is that supposed to be a nervous apology?”

The ghost’s shoulders rose in a shrug. Then there was a warble of static, a noise Elle had deduced was a yes.

The half sighed. “It’s okay. Just let me get some sleep…” She smiled teasingly. “And maybe don’t float over my bed. It’s creepy.”

A pop of static and then…a new noise. Elle sat up. “Was that a laugh?”

The sound cut off and the half ghost could almost read the shock from the change in stance (it was kinda scary how good at reading this ghost’s reactions she was). A moment later, the sound burst forth again, a good natured, if echoing, laugh.

Elle laughed in response. After a moment, she shook her head. “Man, it’s good to hear you laugh. Maybe we can work up to actual words.” She sighed. “I wish I knew your name.”

That sobered the other ghost who floated forward. They hesitated for a moment before moving to approximate sitting the bed. Cold air brushed her at the proximity but there was no weight on the bed, like there would be if a human or another ghost was sitting there.

“You know.” Elle started. “I’ve never met a ghost like you before. Most of the ones I know are solid. All vivid colors, loud noises, and flashy powers. You’re quiet…more like a shadow than a person.”

An almost physical wave of sadness projected from the other ghost. An indistinct hand reached for her, mist curling around her fingers. The girl looked down. “Maybe I can find a way to help you. So you can actually talk and touch things and….I really want to know what you look like.”

Elle expected more sadness, a wistful sigh even, not laughter. She blinked at her companion. “What?”

A chuckle and the person shook their head. Static sounded, probably an attempt at an explanation but not one Elle would understand anytime soon. Instead, the girl shook her head. “Whatever it is, you’ll have to tell me later. But for now…why don’t we try some yes or no questions?”

* * *

From the questioning, Elle managed to figure out that the ghost was a boy about her age and his name started with a T. Other questions were too complicated to answer with a yes or no or he didn’t remember the answer. Most puzzlingly, for some questions (Did he have a family? Did he used to live at the Mystery Shack? Is this where he died?), the ghost clammed up, seemingly switching between yes and not as if he couldn’t decide which was true. Overall, it wasn’t much to go on but it was start.

“So yeah….” Elle laid on the floor of her bedroom, with her laptop in front of her as she video chatted with her family. “I just don’t know what to do with him.” She sighed, having just explained the situation with the ghost haunting the Shack to her parents and siblings.

“That is weird.” Danny mused. He raised a brow. “You said you can’t understand what he’s saying…and it’s not like Wulf, like he’s speaking a different language?”

The girl shook her head. “No. Everything he says comes out as static and…” She put her head in her hands. “I tried getting him to write but he’s not solid enough to hold a pencil most of the time. I just don’t get it. None of the ghosts at home are like this. There…well, you guys know what they’re like.”

Her older brother laughed humorlessly. “Yeah, I do. Most of them won’t shut up and have no problem throwing me into walls.” Jazz frowned at the statement and Danny winced. He glanced at Mom and farther shrunk in on himself at the look the woman was giving him- part angry and part concerned.

The woman then turned back to the screen. “It sounds like you’re dealing with a traditional ghost, sweetie.”

Elle tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“You know how in most stories, ghosts are transparent and immaterial?” Mom continued after the girl nodded in confirmation. “Well, that appearance is actually more typical of ghosts in the real world, than the more solid appearance you’re used to.”

“Really?” The girl questioned. “I’ve seen a lot of ghosts, Mom. In Amity Park and when I was…well…when I was with Vlad.” She blushed, looking down at the last part. “And none of them were like that.”

Mom swallowed. “I know, Elle. But almost every ghost you’ve seen was near a portal or another source of ectoplasm, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah…It was, I guess.”

“Right. And all ghosts, even half ghosts, need a constant source of ectoplasm to manifest fully and maintain their powers. That’s why your dad and I packed ectoplasm supplements for your trip.” The woman put on a serious, motherly glare. “You have been taking those, haven’t you?”

The girl rolled her eyes. “Yes I have.” She stiffened. “Wait…I thought I had to take those because I’m…not as stable as Danny is.” And could destabilize into ectoplasm. Melt…just like one of those paper clones. The girl shivered at the thought.

Apparently, the woman guessed at some of her thoughts as her eyes widened. “No, sweetie. You’re just as stable as your brother, I promise. Those supplements are a standard precaution, not that different from an iron or calcium supplement. We’d make Danny take one too, if he was spending the summer away from Amity Park.” 

Danny frowned at the statement but said nothing. At the same time, Elle sighed, feeling somewhat relieved. “That’s good to know. But still…what does ectoplasm have to do with the Mystery Shack’s ghost?”

Mom took a breath before continuing. “Like I was saying, all ghosts need ectoplasm to stay solid and fully visible. But ghosts in the real world don’t have a stable source so overtime they become weaker and more transparent. Sightings like that are what lead to the more traditional ghost stories.” The woman tapped her chin. “If I had to guess, I’d say your ghost wandered through a natural portal and became stranded.”

“Or he could have formed in the real world.” Dad interjected. “Gravity Falls is a hub of supernatural activity.”

“You’re right, honey.” Mom nodded. “Ghosts can form in the real world, in naturally supernatural places or in very tragic circumstances.” She hummed in thought. “That tends to lead to ghosts that only manifest fully on the anniversary of their death or during certain times of the year.”

“He could be a very young spirit, too. Those tend to be very weak and usually can’t speak.” Dad mused.

“Mom, Dad.” Elle interrupted. “All that’s interesting…but how does this help me figure out how to help the ghost?”

The parents both blinked at her, faces scrunched up in thought.

“You just being there is helping him.” Jazz interjected.

Dad’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! Your signature’s probably strong enough to bolster his with just your presence.”

The red-haired teen rolled her eyes. “No, I mean…just talking to him, trying to listen.” Her lips fell with sadness. “Who knows how long he’s been in that house. No one able to see or hear him. I can’t imagine how lonely he must be.”

There was a sober pause as the family took in Jazz’s words. Elle looked down, her heart clenching at that thought of being that alone and invisible. It really was a horrible thing and…she could imagine it all too well.

“But he’s got you now.” She looked up at the sound of Danny’s voice, meeting his eyes through the computer. He smiled at her. “I’m really proud of you from trying to help. You know that right?”

“I do.” She nodded, half-smiling at the praise. “I just hope everything works out.”

“It will.” Danny encouraged. “You’ve got this. Plus, you’ve got people who can help you. Dipper and Mabel know all about the supernatural, right?”

Elle gave him a wary glance. “Yeah. They do but….” She bit her lip, looking at the two adults.

“So they can help.” Dad beamed. “Look at that. My baby girl forming a ghost hunting squad with her friends!”

The girl wrung her hands. “Well, not hunting. And Dipper and Mabel….I don’t know…I’ll…I’ll have to tell them…and…they won’t…I can’t…” She trailed off, uncomfortable voicing her fears in front of the adults.

Mom raised a brow. “Sweetie, what is it?”

Elle clammed up, shaking her head.

Dad’s face softened. “Kiddo, you can talk to us.”

The girl shook her head again. She looked up, taking in the concerned looks her parents were giving her. She turned her head to Danny, who stared at her with raised brow. There was a look of concern there but also understanding. Jazz wore a similar expression.

Elle wrung her hands. “Can I talk to Jazz and Danny alone?”

The two older siblings looked at each other questioning. Meanwhile, Dad’s expression fell. “Elle…. your mother and I….”

Mom grabbed his hand. “Come on, Jack. Let Elle talk to her brother and sister.”

The pair stood up and walked, giving her sad looks until they were out of view of the computer. Elle sighed. Part of her hated doing this to them. These were her parents who loved her and always tried so hard to make her feel like part of the family. But she just didn’t feel comfortable talking about this with them and she might never.

The sound of the door closing rang through the speaker and Danny spoke. “They’re gone. What do you want to talk about?”

The girl hesitated long enough for Jazz to cut in. “Are Dipper and Mabel giving you problems?”

“No.” Elle shook her head. “They’re great. It’s just…they showed me something a few days ago and….” She proceeded to tell them about the cloning copy machine and her reaction to it. “It brought up a lot of feelings and…. I thought they’d be mad at me for overreacting but….”

“You didn’t overreact.” Jazz said plainly. “You have every reason to be upset…. but that’s not what this is really about, is it?”

The girl shook her head. “It’s just…I wanted a nice normal summer. I wanted to make friends with kids that don’t know about ghosts, or our crazy family, or…. what I am but…. the stupid copier reminded me of a bunch of stupid things, like how I’m a dumb copy and-“

“You’re not a copy.” Danny interrupted her, his face serious. “I…I’m sorry if I’ve ever made you feel like you were, but I promise you’re not. You’re my little sister and I-“

“Danny.” She cut him off. “I know that. I know…I know I’m my own person. But…” She put her hands up. “I thought I was over it! I thought I was past feeling like this!”

“It takes time, Elle.” Jazz comforted. “Sometimes you backtrack but…that’s why you have us. We’re here to remind you whenever you have trouble remembering the truth.”

Expression softening, the girl met her sister’s kind eyes. Her kind, sweet, understanding sister. “I get it and…thanks Jazz. I’ll try to remember that.”

Danny half-smiled. “Well, we’ll never stop reminding you so you won’t forget. Where you came from doesn’t determine who you are or what you’re worth.”

Elle’s heart warmed at the platitude, then her lips turned down. “That still doesn’t help me with Dipper and Mabel though. What if I tell them and they think I’m a freak or….what if they think I’m just copy?”

The boy’s smile fell. “They won’t.” He reassured. “I know I don’t actually know them but from what you’ve said, they sound like good people.”

“But what if…” Fear lashed out. “what if they hate me? And if they don’t…if I tell them I’m a clone, I have to tell them about my powers and about Danny and…that’s your secret. I can’t just tell people!”

Danny held up a hand. “It’s our secret, not just mine. And if you think you can trust them, tell them. If you want to. I mean, my friends know about everything and…you deserve friends too…Dipper and Mabel will understand.”

Elle swallowed. “I don’t know…”

“You don’t have to trust them with everything at once.” Jazz supplied. “You can tell them about how our parents are ghost hunters and about the portal…or tell them about the ghost haunting the Shack and ask for help.” She sighed. “I know trusting people is hard, really hard. You can take your time but….don’t shut them out because you’re scared.”

The girl paused, taking in the last statement. Her stomach flopped. Trust….could she trust the twins? Maybe…they had trusted her with things, crazy stories about what happened last summer. And Dipper…Dipper told her about Tyrone, in his own words something he hadn’t told anyone else about. He trusted her with something important and personal. Maybe…she could return the favor.

* * *

Elle said her goodbye to her siblings before shutting down the computer. She stood, taking a deep breath. She needed to go find Dipper and Mabel and talk about things.

After briefly searching, she found Dipper in the twins’ shared room, reading a book. 

“Hey Dipper.” She waved, trying to push down her nervousness.

The boy looked up. “Hey Elle.”

She pointed. “What are you reading?”

He glanced at the cover. “Oh. Just a book Grunkle Ford gave me.” He sat up, closing the book. “What have you been up to?”

The girl paused for a moment before sitting down on the bed beside the boy. “I was just video calling my family.”

“Oh cool.” Dipper said.

Elle hummed in response, considering. “Do you wanna see a picture of them?”

The boy nodded. “Sure.”

The half ghost pulled out her phone and opened a photo showing the five members of the Fenton Family. She pointed at the two jumpsuit wearing adults who stood to the left. “So that’s Mom and Dad. And there’s me.” She motioned to her image, between the two teens. “And there’s my older brother and sister, Danny and Jazz.”

Dipper examined the image. “Wow… you and your brother both look just like your dad.”

“Yeah, I hear that all the time.” Elle fought not to groan; at least it was better than being told she looked just like Danny. She then half-smiled trying to lighten her mood. “We’ve both got nothing on his height though. I’m pretty sure neither of us are gonna end up that tall.”

“He is really tall.” The boy commented. Then he looked at the picture again, nose wrinkling in confusion. “What are your parents’ wearing?”

Elle grimaced. “Fenton Jumpsuits.” 

“But…what are those?” Dipper asked, somehow more bewildered. 

In response, the girl swallowed, bracing herself to share the truth…or the first part of it. “They wear them for their work. Mom and Dad….they study ghosts.”

The boy blinked for a moment, confusion remaining before his eyes lit up. “Your parents study ghosts?! That’s amazing!” The half ghost’s eyes widened, startled at the reaction as Dipper continued. “That’s why you asked about ghosts on your first day here and….you’ve barely batted an eye at all the weird stuff here.” His smile widened. “Because you’ve seen actual ghosts before, haven’t you?”

Elle rubbed the back of her neck. “Yeah…. Ghosts are really common in Amity Park. And….we kinda have a portal to the Ghost Zone in our basement.”

Dipper held up his arms, looking like he would burst out of his skin in excitement. “You have…a portal…in your basement? A portal to the…” He put his arms down. “Wait…what’s the Ghost Zone?”

“It’s the place ghosts are from. It’s….kinda like the flipside to our world. Gravity’s pretty wonky so it’s all floating doors and islands and swirling clouds of ectoplasm.” The halfa didn’t notice the hint of fondness that entered her voice.

“You sound like you’ve been there.” The boy observed.

The girl paled, clamming up. Had she given something away? “Well….Mom and Dad made a ship called the Specter Speeder to explore it and….I may have stuck my head through the portal a few times.” Well, that was an understatement; she’d done more than stick her head in. She and Danny had visited friends and allies. Before Danny had told his parents about her, she’d even lived in their shared lair for a time. And as a half ghost, part of her would always be a creature of the Zone.

Dipper looked part scandalized, part ecstatic. “You stuck your head through?!”

Elle shrugged. “I was curious…and it turned out okay.”

“Woah.” The boy put a head on his head. “What are the ghosts in Amity Park like?”

With that, Elle proceeded to tell the other teen about the Box Ghost, Technus, Skulker, Ember, and other ghosts that frequented her home time. She told about the inventions her parents had made to study and hunt ghosts. She even talked about Phantom, though leaving out several very important details.

“Really? A ghost that fights other ghosts?” Dipper questioned.

“And protects people.” Elle nodded. “He’s the real deal, a really good guy.” She looked down. “It took Mom and Dad a while to see that but…I’m happy we’re on good terms now.”

“We’re?” The boy rose a brow.

The girl blushed. “Us Fentons and Phantom, I mean. Mom and Dad have even been giving him equipment and working together to deal with the more dangerous and destructive ghosts.”

A thoughtful expression crossed Dipper’s face. “A ghost and ghost hunters working together….that’s unexpected…but then again, we did the same thing to stop Bill Cipher last year. Us normal humans and a bunch of supernatural creatures came together to fight him.”

Elle nodded in acknowledgment but didn’t respond, instead deep in thought. She felt better after sharing some things with Dipper; she really shouldn’t have been surprised by his enthusiastic and curious reaction. But….us normal humans. If only he knew. She’d sooner belong to the side of the paranormal than to that of normal humans. What would he think of her if he knew?

Dipper interrupted her thoughts. “You’ve got a thinking look on your face. Wanna share?”

The girl blushed in response to being caught. She couldn’t tell him the truth, not right now but… “I was thinking about the weird stuff here. I was talking to Mom and Dad about it earlier.”

“Oh…it’s cool that you can talk to them about this stuff.” The boy added. “Mabel and I tried to talk to our parents but…” He trailed off. “Anyway….how did they take it?”

“They’re kinda worried but…they think it’s cool. And they know your grunkles’ are here to look out for me if something happens. But that’s not what I was thinking about.”

“What then?”

“Well, like I said, we were talking, about ghosts of course, and….” She sighed, deciding to spit it out. “I think the Mystery Shack is haunted.”

The boy tilted his head. “Really?”

“Yeah…Haven’t you noticed the stuff going missing and the cold spots?” Elle questioned.

“I have but….I haven’t actually seen anything. Grunkle Ford and I even swept with the EMF reader and didn’t pick up on anything.”

The girl frowned at that. When did they do that? And how didn’t they pick up on it? But then again… “The ghost is really weak, so your scanner wouldn’t have picked him up.”

Dipper wrinkled his nose. “Then how do we know there’s a ghost at all?”

Elle bit her lip, considering. How would she know? Well…. ”I’ve seen him.” She spoke before she could rethink the words.

The boy frowned. “What?”

The half ghost pinched her eyes closed. “The ghost…I’ve seen him and…I’ve tried to talk to him.”

“But…how? You’re the only one whose seen him. And if he’s that weak….” 

“I don’t...” Elle stopped. She couldn’t say she didn’t know; that would be a lie. But she couldn’t tell the truth, that she could see the ghost because she was one too. “Maybe….I’m more in tune with the supernatural. I have been living above an active ghost portal for years.” That wasn’t actually true; she’d only been alive for a year and with the Fentons for six months. But all the same…. “Ectoplasm can do strange things to a person.” Oh how true that was.

Dipper hummed in consideration. “Or maybe he’s only showing himself to you, for some reason?”

The girl shook her head. “The ghost’s been in the same room as you and Mabel and neither of you saw him…but I did.”

The boy blinked at the statement. “Well that’s…I guess you are more in tune. That’s cool.” Was it her imagination or did he sound disappointed? “So what do you want to do about this?”

Elle shrugged. She told him about some of the interactions she’d had so far- excluding anything involving her powers-, the information she’d found out, and what her parents said about traditional ghosts compared to Amity Park ghosts.

“The most important thing is figuring out who he was.” Dipper suggested. At some point, he’d gotten out his notebook and pen. He clicked the writing instrument as he talked. “Maybe see about if any teenage boys died around here. Ghosts normally stick near where they died.”

“Especially if they’re this weak. But…he could have come through a natural portal.”

“You’re right.” Dipper clicked the pen again. “Then we need to keep trying to communicate.” He looked up. “You said he seems really eager to talk. Like if we could figure out how to, he’d probably tell us what we need to know.”

“You’re probably right.” Elle nodded.

“I’ll see what Grunkle Ford says….maybe find a Ouija Board.” The boy smiled at her. “We’ll figure this out.”

“Yeah.” The halfa smiled, for once feeling hopefully. Having a friend to help was good.

* * *

After their conversation, Dipper and Elle filled Mabel in on the plan. The halfa also told the other girl about her ghost hunting family.

Elle held out her phone, showing the same picture she’d shown to Dipper to the other girl. “And that’s my sister, Jazz. And my brother, Danny.”

Mabel’s eyes shone with mischievousness. “You didn’t tell me your brother was cute!”

The half ghost blushed. “Mabel! I don’t want to hear that!”

The brown-haired girl laughed while her twin rolled his eyes. “Come on. Let’s go talk to Ford.” The boy suggested.

Five minutes later, the trio found the man in his workshop in the basement. Together, they told him about the issue of the ghost haunting the Shack. “Elle here is the only one who is able to see this ghost?” The man questioned with a raised eyebrow.

The girl swallowed. Was it just her or did he sound suspicious? “Yeah, It’s just me.” She resisted the urge to rub the back of her neck. “Do you think you can help us with that?”

Ford rubbed his chin. “I’ll see what I can do. I do not have a Ouija Board. Those can be….problematic.” He frowned. “They tend to attract dark spirits and other foul creatures more often than they help communicate with more benevolent ghosts. Maybe I can find an alternative…and a way to make this ghost visible to everyone would be useful.”

“Definitely.” Dipper added with a nod. His expression then turned sober. “Elle said the ghost is a teenage boy who may have died here. Do you know about any deaths that happened in the Mystery Shack?”

The older man’s expression shifted into something equally sad and troubled. “I had this house built when I moved to Gravity Falls and after I disappeared…Stan lived here. To my knowledge, no one died here during that time… but you can check with my brother.”

A brief check with Stan found that no one had ever died in the building, especially not any teenage boys. 

Dipper started clicking his pen again. “I guess you’re right about his coming from a natural portal, if no one’s died here.”

“I guess.” Elle frowned. Although….she remembered what Dipper told her about the paper clones, how they’d melted in this very building. But those surely didn’t count as deaths, did they? (If that was true, part of her whispered, then her destabilization, her clone brothers melting, wouldn’t have counted as dying, would it?) Her heart clenched and she shook her head. No, it was so unlikely, nearly impossible that any of those clones came back as a ghost. It was much more likely a natural portal opened, powered by this town’s weirdness, and a ghost wandered through before becoming trapped. Right?

“So we see what Ford comes up with and if you see the ghost, come get me and Mabel. Maybe we’ll notice something, now that we know there’s something there.” The boy suggested.

Elle nodded. Beside her, Mabel waved. “Yeah, yeah. Can we stop talking about sad, nerd stuff and go do something fun?”

“Sure.” “Yeah.” The other two teens both said.

“Awesome.” With that, Mabel jumped up and pulled her brother and friend up to their feet. “Grunkle Stan!” She yelled. “Can we go to the pool?”

* * *

After a trip to the pool, which Mabel and Dipper noted was much less eventful than last year’s, everyone ate, showered, and relaxed for a bit before getting ready for bed. The half ghost was lounging on her bed with a book when the temperature of the room dipped. Her core buzzed in response and Elle looked up.

“It’s you.” She smiled, eyes falling on the misty figure of her friend. 

Huh…friend. It was interesting that she was so comfortable with this ghost, comfortable enough to think of him as her friend when she didn’t know his name or what he looked like. But then again, she’d grown up around ghosts (as much as one can grow up, having only a year of life experience.) Vlad’s property had been full of his ghostly lackeys and experiments. Her first friends and playmates had been ghosts, most of whom had strange or even monstrous appearances. 

Elle stood, putting down her book. “Hey, can you wait here? I told Dipper and Mabel about you and they wanted to see if they could meet you, the next time you show up.”

She didn’t wait for a response before she darted out of the room. She ran up the stairs to the attic and into the twins’ room. After a brief explanation, Dipper and Mabel were following her back down the stairs and into the room.

The half ghost burst into the room. “We’re back.”

The twins entered, and she closed the door. There was a long pause as Dipper and Mabel’s eyes trailed the room, gazes falling on nothing. Meanwhile, Elle studied the ghost who floated in the same place she left him. 

She tilted her head. Wait…. this was…strange. He was silent and still. Even without visible eyes, the halfa could tell he was glancing between the twins. After a moment, he wavered forward, fuzzy arms held in front of him. The quiet static of his almost voice tilted up into a question. It was…almost hopeful.

The twin continued to look around the room. Mabel then looked at Elle. “I can’t see anything.”

Dipper shook his head. “Me neither. Is he still in here?”

Instantly, the ghostly figure sagged in the air, sadly.

“Yeah.” Elle pointed. “He’s right there.” She pointed to a spot in front of her bed.

The twin’s gazes both shifted to a spot vaguely near where she motioned. The ghost’s posture straightened, and Elle could almost feel his hope rekindled.

“There?” Mabel pointed. Elle nodded and the girl continued. “Hi! I’m Mabel and that’s my brother Dipper. And you’re…. well….we don’t actually know your name. How about….Misty…” The girl’s eyes lit up like it was a brilliant idea.

Across the room, the ghost laughed, the sound light and somehow fond. 

Mabel continued rambling. “’Cause Elle said you kinda look like a blueish cloud. Oh, that’s kinda a girly name but…Dipper, what would be a manly name?”

Elle grinned, watching the ghost’s reaction as the laughter increased. She really wished she could see the bright smile that was surely hidden behind the fog.

“I don’t know….” Dipper trailed off. “What are you chuckling at?”

The half ghost looked at the other ghost. For a moment, she thought Dipper had heard him. Then she realized the boy was staring at her. Her mouth snapped shut as she realized she’d been laughing. “Oh…he was laughing.” She motioned at the seemingly empty air. “I think he liked your name suggested.”

“Oh, do you?” Mabel’s eyes lit up.

“He’s nodding so I think so.” Elle said.

“Cool!” The other girl exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Dipper was ignoring the exchange. Instead he was staring at the air with an intense look of concentration, like if he just tried hard enough, he could see through levels of reality. The ghost shifted awkwardly in the air, gaze fixing on Dipper.

The boy took a step forward, waving his hand in the air. “I don’t get it. It looks like nothing’s there.”

The figure tentatively floated forward, hand reaching forward again. There was a quiet warble of static, word clearly directed at the boy who didn’t react. Elle frowned, unsure what to make of the tone.

“I can’t see, hear, or feel anything.” The boy shook his head.

The two boys, one living and one ghostly, stood face to face. Distantly, Elle realized they were the exact same height. Shakily, misty fingers moved forward to Dippers. Again, static buzzed, quiet and…almost desperate. There was a brief pause, the ghost bracing himself as he reached forward. Immaterial fingers phased through Dipper’s and the boy didn’t even flinch.

The misty figure moved his hand back, like he was burned. Body trembling, his shoulders fell as he continued talking. How could a voice that was static break?

“I hoped if I knew I was supposed to see something that I would but…” The boy trailed off, his expression troubled. “Nothing.”

_ No, please. _ Desperate words cut through the static and Elle gasped.  _ Please, I’m right in front of you. Just see me! I’m right here. It's me. I’m…. _ The almost voice choked on desperate sorrow before dissolving back into static.

The lights flickered and Dipper’s gaze flickered up. “What was that?”

Elle did answer, too absorbed in the scene in front of her. The ghost quickly glanced between the twins, his static voice still buzzing. The halfa didn’t need to know what he’s saying to know he’s begging for someone to see, to hear him.

Again, the lights flickered. Several objects floated up off the desk and bookshelf as Elle’s ghost sense went off. The misty figure moved forward again, grasping for Dipper’s hand but passing through. In a blink, he was in front of Mabel, grasping and begging too. Frost crept along the floor.

The girl’s eyes widened. “Dipper?! What’s happening?”

“I…I don’t know.” He stuttered.

Elle’s heart was in her throat. The other ghost wavered in front of her, arms waving and voice begging for….something. “I…I’m sorry…I don’t understand what you want.”

The ghost stammered, his voice desperate.  _ Please…tell them…I’m… _ Choppy words cut through the static. He was….he’s asking her to do something, to tell someone something.

“I’m sorry….I don’t…” The halfa’s own voice broke.

_ Please…tell…It’s me...I’m… _ A horrible, heartbreaking sob broke free, making the figure’s shoulders shake.

Elle blinked, realizing with a start that the ghost was crying. He was crying….she’d never seen him anything but excited and curious, even happy but this….

With another sob, the other ghost disappeared. The cold of her ghost sense evaporated with frost on the floor as the lights stopped flickering. There was silence except for the sounds of breathing for a moment as the trio frantically looked around the room for the apparition.

“Is he gone?” Mabel finally asked, surprisingly quietly.

Elle nodded dumbly.

“What was that?” Beside her, Dipper was shaking. “Do I do or say something or…” He turned to the half ghost. “Could you see what he was doing?”

“He…he was crying.” The girl’s voice shook.

Dipper blinked at her. “What?”

“I think…I think he was upset that you and Mabel couldn’t see or hear him.” Elle felt a tear collecting in her eyes. “It’s like….he was begging for you to see him. And he wanted me to tell someone something but…I couldn’t understand what he was saying.” 

“But that doesn’t make any sense.” Mabel frowned. “We’ve been in the same room before and he didn’t get that upset. What’s different?”

Elle startled at the observation. “That’s a good question.”

Dipper looked down, shame covering his face. “Maybe it’s because we know about him now. Like I was hoping….maybe he thought that if we knew about him, we’d be able to talk to him and help him. But we still can’t do anything.”

The half ghost stared at him, caught off guard by the sadness in his voice. Annoyance and fear were to be expected but this? Tonight was their first actual meeting; the two didn’t have any form of relationship, not like Elle and the ghost. The boy hadn’t even seen or heard any of his breakdown so-

“We’ll figure something out.” Mabel comforted her brother.

Elle sighed. “Yeah. Maybe he’ll come back after he calms down and I can get some information from him. You two should go to bed.”

Dipper sighed, giving in without argument. “Alright.”

His sister nodded. “Come on, Dipping-sauce.”

With that, the twins went up to their bedroom, leaving Elle to sit and wait alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's part 2. Be on the look out for the third and final part within the next week.


	3. Chapter 3

The half ghost sat, waiting on her bed and hoping that the Shack's mysterious ghost would reappear. Sadness swirled in her heart as the scene replayed in her head- the panic, the desperation as the misty figure begged to be seen. Why did he react that extremely, that devastated? She puzzled over Dipper’s explanation. Maybe that was correct; the ghost was upset about still being unseen and unheard. But there had to be more, didn’t there? It was almost like….he was upset that Dipper and Mabel couldn’t see him specifically. 

The half ghost’s frowned. The ghost…he’d been moving Dipper and Mabel’s things. He’d latched on to her because she could see him but he’d first started with moving the twins’ things and following them…. almost like he was trying to get their attention, But why? 

Wait... _ It's me _ , he’d said to Dipper. Like the boy should have recognized the ghost, like he knew him. But, how could he? If the twins closely knew someone who’d died, wouldn’t they have brought up the idea that their loved one was trying to get their attention from beyond the grave? 

Unless…Elle’s eyes widened. Unless they thought it was impossible for him could come back because…. The half ghost’s breath caught in her throat as pieces slid together. He…the boy had died…maybe died… in the Mystery Shack. He was about her and Dipper and Mabel’s age. His name started with a T. But…no, that’s-

Elle’s heart stopped, the realization hitting her like a ton of bricks. Back at the beginning when Dipper’s journal went missing, she’d…she’d asked who the figure was, and he’d shown the copier in the book. The Copier meaning….No, it couldn’t be…but….The ghost’s height, it…it matched Dipper’s exactly. And the brief coloration she’s seen- white and blue like Dipper’s hat and vest. Oh god, he even paced like Dipper did. 

“Tyrone.” She whispered. “Oh my god. He’s Tyrone.”

No, the half ghost shook her head. No, that was impossible. It couldn’t be…he couldn’t be. A clone made out of paper, who’d been alive for all of a few hours. There couldn’t have been enough emotion, enough sense of self to form a ghost. But…the clone had helped to choose his own name, part of her argued. That required a degree of independence, a sense of himself as different from Dipper Pines. So maybe he was Tyrone. Maybe a magically created paper clone had managed to be reborn as a ghost. She bit her lip. Maybe…. maybe she should tell Dipper and Mabel her idea….

No, the girl bit her lip. She shouldn’t get their hopes up. If she was right, this would be an incredible miracle. But if she was wrong….Dipper’s wavered voice and downcast eyes as he talked about losing Tyrone rang in her head…if she was wrong, this would crush them. But maybe she could get proof.

Talking a deep breath, she stood. “Hey, if you’re here…” She looked up at the ceiling. “I think…I think I know who you are. You’re…you’re Tyrone, Dipper’s clone.”

Silence.

“Are you there?” She called.

Nothing. Elle sighed. Was he ignoring her? Or… he had used a lot of energy to make the lights flicker, float objects, and freeze the floor (Elle had ice powers so she knew how tiring that was). Maybe he didn’t have enough power to appear even to her.

“Okay. If…if you are Tyrone, can you give me some sigh? Or…show up so I can talk to you?”

No response. “Alright then. I’m gonna go to bed.”

Elle tossed and turned for a while, struggling to sleep without her answer but none came.

* * *

The half ghost girl blinked awake to sunlight streaming through her window. She groaned sleepily and went to bury her head back in her pillow when the sound of something heavy falling to the floor rang through the room. Suddenly startled, the girl sat up.

In the middle of the room and suspiciously far from any furniture was a thick, heavy book. Beside the object, a misty blue and white figure floated for a second before flickering out of existence.

“Are you avoiding me now?” The girl rubbed her eyes. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t ask you if you wanted to see Dipper and Mabel. I probably should have and I get why you’d be upset if you’re…..” She trailed off, the lack of response deepening her frown. “Come out and talk to me, please. I…I just want to know if you are... who I think you are.”

The room remained silent, except for the flutter of paper on the desk. Stupid window must be….Elle looked to window, eyes widening. It was closed.

Heart pounding, the girl leapt to her feet. She practically ran to the desk. It was covered with the normal mix of knick knacks and school supplies but…there was a colorful piece of paper that hadn’t been there yesterday. With shaking hands, the half ghost picked the piece up. It was white cardstock covered with green pine trees, probably a Christmas themed piece from Mabel’s art and craft stock. In thick black marker, it read ‘Tyrone.’

Elle’s brain short circuited for a moment as she stared at the paper. What was…what did…how… The paper dropped through her fingers and into the desk. She whipped around, eyes hungrily searching for a blurry figure.

“Tyrone. You’re Tyrone. Dipper’s Tyrone. You’re….” She ran a hand through her hair. “I…I can’t believe this. How…how did this even happen? I mean I know  _ how _ but…”

The girl blinked for a long moment as an insubstantial apparition appeared in front of her. Despite his flickering, translucent body and pale blue tint covering his figure, the ghost wore a surprisingly familiar looking appearance. As a clone, he looked almost exactly like Dipper, complete with the typical vest and hat, though Tyrone’s hat bore the number 2 instead of a picture of a pine tree.

Elle’s mouth fell open. “I can see you.”

The ghost boy frowned (frowned! As in she could actually see his mouth to see his frown!) and gave her an exacerbated look.

Elle shook her head. “No. Your face, I can actually see your face!”

Tyrone pursed his lips in confusion for a moment before his eyes widened in understanding. He opened his mouth and excited sounding static exited.

That sobered the half ghost. “Your voice still sounds like a broken TV though.”

He frowned, crossing his arms. Clearly, he was displeased. A sliver of sadness tugged at her heart too but she could actually see him! 

Elle marched forward. “I mean…I wish we could actually talk with words, but I can actually see your facial expressions now! I can read your body language. I could…I could learn to read your lips or we could learn sign language…or…”

Tyrone’s eyes lit up at the last suggestion, a smile stretching across his face as he nodded enthusiastically.

The half ghost grinned. “Man you’re…you’re actually him. You’re Tyrone, Dipper’s clone.” Her eyes widened, a realization filling her with awe. “You’re a clone, like I am.”

The boy nodded but there was no shock, no surprise.

Elle stumbled towards her bed, the weight of what she’d said hitting her. She’d feared even uttering the word clone in front of Dipper or Mabel but… she’d just spit it out. The girl glanced up at the other ghost. And Tyrone wasn’t even shocked. 

The half ghost put a hand on her head. “You already know. You heard me after…after I found out about the copier.”

Static buzzed for his answer, but Elle knew it was a yes. To her surprise, the conformation didn’t make her feel nervous or exposed. Instead…her core hummed with some emotion she couldn’t place.

Tyrone drifted forward, shifting in the air until he was floating crossed legged at her eyes level. He focused compassionate eyes on her.  _ You’re like me. _ He said and this time she understood. Not just because that was the first thing he’d said to her that she understood. Instead….she knew the meaning. They were both ghosts. They were both clones, supposed copies of someone else but they were not alone.

Elle’s core purred in her chest and she subtly smiled. This was part of the reason he’d warmed up to her and she’d become comfortable with him so quickly. There was a connection she hadn’t recognized until now. A kinship she’d felt since….

The other clones, her first brothers were still alive. Her face fell at the thought, at the memories. Playing with tag with Tiny. Watching the clouds with Bones. Petting the cat that wandered the garden with Muscles. Sitting on the floor reading to the prime clone, Daniel.

Something cold brushed against her arm, drawing her attention. She looked up, registering the mostly insubstantial hand on her arm. She met the other clone’s eyes. ‘What?’ He mouthed.

Elle shook her head. “It’s just…I haven’t talked to another clone since…since the others were still around but…they’re all gone now. It’s just me.”

Tyrone’s eyes softened in understanding. ‘Same.’ He looked down, expression full of sorrow.

The half ghost startled at the answer before nodding. “Right. You weren’t the only one either.” There had been nine or ten others and….she paled at thought….he’d seen all them melt, barely escaping that fate just to meet his demise minutes later.

Tyrone seemed to be thinking about the same thing, a queasy look on his face.

The girl sighed. “It’s okay now.” She gave her best comforting smile. “We’re both here. We both survived.”

The other ghost blanched at the thought, looking questioningly down at his translucent body. He then pinned her with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, you…that. But…” Elle shook her head. “You came back. Most people don’t.” 

She looked down. Very few people came back as ghosts but…. (The other clones, maybe they could too. Maybe they were out there somewhere, waiting. If one of Dipper’s clones became a ghost… a jab of jealousy…. Why hadn’t any of her clone brothers come back to her?) No, Elle forced the dangerously intoxicating thoughts down. This wasn’t about her and her lost siblings. 

The corner of her lip turned up as she forced her voice to sound lite. “Besides, being a ghost isn’t that bad. You’ve got cool powers and you…uhhh…more durable than before.” The girl smiled sheepishly, unsure if she should have said that as soon as it left her mouth.

Across from her, Tyrone shivered. Then he gave a rye smile and said something equally sheepish. Elle tilted her head in question and he tried again, carefully enunciating the words. The girl watched his mouth. Was he saying ‘can’t melt now’? He repeated the words a third time and Elle was sure.

She fought not to grimace. Well….that wasn’t actually true. Ghosts could melt as she well knew but…she wasn’t exactly going to tell him that right now. Instead, she shrugged uncertainly. “Yeah. Water can’t actually hurt you now.”

The boy let out a relieved breath for a moment before his shoulder’s fell. More static exited his mouth. The half ghost continued to patiently study him until the other ghost again realized she couldn’t understand him. 

With a huff, he uncrossed his legs and floated around the room, looking for something. He paused at one of the end tables as Elle came to stand beside him. The ghost boy reached for a strip of photos on the desk and then gritted his teeth as his fingers passed through. An intense look of concentration crossed his face (it reminded Elle greatly of Dipper yesterday) and he reached again. It took several tries but he managed to pick up the pictures. 

Elle tilted her head. It was a line of photo booth pictures she had taken with the twins at the arcade. Tyrone pointed at the two siblings with his free hand.

“Dipper and Mabel?” She questioned. 

The boy nodded. In that moment, his concertation lapsed and the pictures fell through his hand. He groaned in displeasure.

Elle bent down to take the paper, studying it. Then she looked at the other ghost again. “What about Dipper and Mabel?”

Tyrone frowned. Deliberately, he pointed at each twin. Then he shook his head, covering his ears and then his eyes.

“Oh.” Elle also frowned. “They still can’t see or hear you.”

The ghost nodded, a deep sadness in his eyes. The half ghost felt a similar sadness. Though she now knew that the ghost haunting the shack was Tyrone and could see him, he was still invisible to everyone else. He can’t show himself or talk to Dipper and Mabel. It was almost he wasn’t even here. Except that he was. 

Tyrone had come back as a ghost and Elle didn’t know the true extent of his relationship to the twins. She didn’t know what he actually thought of Dipper especially. And she didn’t know what the twins actually thought about him, how they would react if he showed up again. But…

She remembered Dipper’s sadness talking about Tyrone melting, Mabel’s uncharacteristic soberness during that conversation. She remembered last night- Tyrone begging and crying in front of them.  _ Please, it’s me. I’m right in front of you.  _ He wanted to connect with them, didn’t he? But he couldn’t do that alone.

“We’ll figure something out.” Elle ran a hand through her hair. “But for now, what am I gonna tell Dipper and Mabel?”

Tyrone’s eyes widened, a panicked look crossing his face. He vigorously shook his head.

The girl stared at him. “Tyrone. I figured out who you are. I can actually see you. I have to tell them something.”

The ghost boy continued to shake his head exaggeratedly. 

Elle raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want me to tell them?”

His voice buzzed as panicked static and she didn’t need to understand the words to know he was saying no.

The girl held out her hands. “Why not? I saw how upset you got last night. You want to talk to them. And…I think they’d want to talk to you too.” She said that last part with less certainty but it was true, right?

At some point, the ghostly clone had started pacing. He stopped to stare at her. He waved his arms, motioning to his mouth.

Elle scowled before catching. “You can’t talk to them…and they can’t see you.” Her lips turned down.

Tyrone nodded, more static popping. Some words broke through the noise. “ _ Can’t see…how can…like not here….and….can’t break their hearts….” _

“You don’t want to hurt them.” The half ghost said softly.

The boy confirmed with a nod.

Elle frowned. “But..” She started to argue.

Tyrone floated forward, holding up his hands. He closed his eyes, concentrating before he opened his mouth. “ _ Please, wait until we figure this out.”  _ He motioned to his still insubstantial form. 

“They could help us with that, if they knew.” She argued.

He still shook his head, before biting his lip. “ _ No, I’m…not ready _ …..” There was a long pause when the half ghost thought he wouldn’t say anything else.  _ “I’m…Just a copy. Aren’t I? But….I don’t know…what will they think of me?” _ The last words rang with doubt and fear but somehow they were more real and solid than anything she’d heard from him.

Elle frowned, trying to make sense of the words. Except they made too much sense. She knew all the self-worth issues that came with being a clone, all the fear of people knowing what a freak you are, not being ready to face the truth. Or…maybe she was projecting what she felt on to him. Maybe he wasn’t feeling insecure because of his clone status. Maybe he was just afraid of hurting Dipper and Mabel and being physically unable to comfort them.

After long consideration, the half ghost sighed. “Alright. I won’t tell them. But we’ll find a way for them to see and hear you. And then you’ll have to face them.”

Tyrone swallowed nervously but nodded in agreement. Then he offered her a half-smile and a mouthed ‘Thank you,’ before he disappeared, leaving Elle to get dressed and go downstairs for breakfast.

* * *

Maybe agreeing not to tell Dipper or Mabel about Tyrone was a bad idea, Elle thought ruefully. The fair had come early this year and she was supposed to be having fun with the twins. Mabel was talking about their time travel adventure last year, gushing about how she won Waddles and chuckling about how Dipper kept hitting Wendy in the eyes with a baseball, to the boy’s groaning. 

“Yeah, we never figured out what that time anomaly thing was.” The female twin shrugged. 

“Mabel, that was us.” Dipper stated flatly.

“That’s just silly bro. Us, cause a time anomaly. Psh.” She waved her hand flippantly. Dipper rolled his eyes, exacerbated. Elle wasn’t sure if Mabel was being serious or not but before she could say anything, the other girl’s eyes widened. “Candy! Grenda!”

As Mabel ran off to meet her friends, Elle sighed, and Dipper’s smile fell. A moment later, he looked at the other teen and sighed. “So…what do you want to do?”

Elle shrugged, frowning. “I don’t know. Whatever.” 

If she was honest, she wasn’t in the mood for fun, not after this morning. She was feeling blue and Dipper didn’t seem to be doing much better. Elle had noticed it as soon as she saw him at breakfast this morning. The tension in his shoulders, the bags under his sunken eyes, the way he kept wringing his hands. He looked like he had barely slept, deeply bothered by something. 

“How about we go get some food?” The boy offered halfheartedly.

“Sure.” Elle agreed, her thoughts away from her friend’s sour mood. 

The pair walked to one of the food trucks, ordering cheeseburgers, fries, and cans of Pit Cola. They sit down to eat at a picnic table, beside some of the older teens.

Elle listlessly picked at her food, while passively watching people pass by their table. Across from her, Dipper was in a similar mood, his eyes fixed down while he nibbled at his fries. He remained silent which was fine with Elle; she wasn’t in a talking mood today either. 

If she’s been in a better mood, she might have wondered about what was bothering him and asked about it. But instead, her head remained filled with her own troubled thoughts. She couldn’t stop thinking about Tyrone who was in the Shack somewhere, still invisible. Elle sighed. She knew his name now but what did that matter? She still had no idea how to actually help him.

A blue tinted figure drew Elle’s attention away. She looked up, her frown deepening. There in the attic window was Tyrone. He was watching them with one hand on the window; even from this distance she could make out the sad look in his eyes. 

“What are you looking at?” The living boy across from her asked, startling her.

Elle whipped to look at him. A moment later, she recognized the question. “Oh…our ghostly friend.” It wasn’t a lie, technically, right? “He’s in the window of your bedroom.” She looked back up and pointed, causing the boy to swivel around to see and then frowned. “Or he was.” Tyrone had disappeared in second she looked away.

“Oh.” Dipper frowned. “What was he doing?”

“Just looking out the window. Watching the fair I guess.” She shrugged, trying to sound unbothered. But she was bothered. He was watching them, with the expression of someone on the outside looking in.

Despite her efforts, the boy mostly likely picked up on the unease anyway. “He must be really lonely.”

“Yeah.” The girl nodded, putting her arms around herself. Jazz had said as much earlier and Elle herself thought that was well. She shivered. “No one being able to see and hear you must be horrible.”

Dipper swallowed. “It is. It’s awful.” 

The sureness of the statement giving her pause, Elle blinked at him in surprise. “You sound...very sure about that.”

The boy’s shoulders rose, and he paled, looking like he’d been caught. Then a deep look of consideration covered his face. He looked around cautiously. “There’s a reason for that.” He lowered his voice. “We shouldn’t talk about it here.”

With that, the boy stood. He grabbed his food and Elle followed with her own food as he led her away from the picnic tables. With another cautious glance, he darted behind one of the game stales. With a food truck to their backs and the back of the stall in front of them, it formed a secluded little alley away from listening ears.

Dipper took a seat, slumping into the grass. He bit his lip, mulling over something silently before meeting her eyes. “I..I kinda know what it’s like to be a ghost.”

Elle frowned in surprise. “What?”

The boy opened and closed his mouth, searching for words. He nervously rubbed one of his arms. “I…When Bill Cipher possessed me, I got kicked out of my own body. While that demon,” His voice pitched up in anger at the word, before dipping down in sadness. “was tramping around in my body. I was just floating there. I couldn't touch anything. And no one could see or hear me. I yelled in people’s ears, waved in their faces but…nothing.” He looked at his hands. “It’s like…I didn’t even exist. I wasn’t even there, like I was a….”

“A ghost.” The girl’s eyes lit up in understanding. “It’s like you were a ghost.”

Dipper nodded. “It was horrible. I felt so…helpless. Cipher was running around, doing whatever he wanted to do to me and I couldn’t stop him. I couldn’t get anyone to help me, because they couldn’t see me. It was…one of the most horrible things that's ever happened to me.” He almost whispered that last part before shaking his head. “It turned out okay though. I possessed one of Mabel’s sock puppets to talk to her and she helped get the demon out of me.” Elle’s eyes widened at the last part, wanting to ask more about that story but Dipper continued before she could. “But the point is…I was stuck like that for a few hours and it was awful. But the ghost in the Shack…he’s been like that for who knows how long.”

Elle shook her head, considering the words. “I can’t even imagine that. Well…Well no, I can...” 

The boy gave her a curious look and the girl pinched her mouth shut. She didn’t want to bring that up, not right now, not when it could lead to…other revelations but….she met Dipper’s eyes. He’d already spilled deep secrets to her. He trusted her, repeatedly, and she still remained closed off. 

Elle hazarded a cautious glance at Dipper. "I...uhh….I have something to tell you about..." She rubbed the back of her neck. "About why I can see the ghost but no one else can. It's uhhh.. it's not because I've been living above a ghost portal."

The boy seemed to pick up on her somber tone, his frowning deepening. "What do you mean? Is there no portal?"

The halfa wrung her hands. "No, I mean…Mom and Dad do have a portal and it is in our basement. So I have been living above it but… I know what's not why I can see the ghost."

"Then why?"

Elle could hardly believe she was saying this, she was trying to confess this as she stammered. "I...uhh...I..umm… it's...it's complicated and weird. And...I'm … I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier but I thought...well.. it's silly but…" Her voice quieted. "Please don't be mad."

Dipper's expression softened. "Elle, it's okay. You can tell me whatever it is."

The girl took a breath and closed her eyes. She braced herself. She would say it. She was gonna actually say it and it would be fine because she could trust Dipper and he'd believe her and...She spit out the words. "I'm half ghost."

There was a long moment of silence when the other teen didn't react. Tentatively, she peaked her eyes open and took in his bewildered expression.

"What?" He finally said.

"I'm half ghost." Elle forced the words out again. "That's why I can see the Shack's ghost, 'cause I'm one too." She glanced up, meeting Dipper's still confused gaze, before looking down again. She then continued as the other boy remained silent. “So yeah...I’ve got all the typical powers. I can turn invisible.” In demonstration, her hand disappeared. “Intangible.” Her hand took on a bluish tint before she passed it into the ground. “Make ectoblasts.” Pulling her hand back up, she summoned neon green energy into her palm. “I can do ice too and float but those are….uhh...harder in this form….”

She trailed off at the end, blushing under Dipper’s slack jawed stare. The girl bit her lip. Had she gone too fast? Should she have explained better? Should she transform? No that was a stupid idea. This was stupid idea. Stupid! She just broke her friend. He probably thought-

“You’re a ghost.” Dipper’s uncharacteristically quiet voice cut through her growing panic. “You’re a ghost. I can’t believe this.” His voice was quickly growing in volume as he spoke faster. “In the Shack, right under our noses the whole time. You told me...you told me your parents are ghost experts. And...you’ve gone through the ghost portal.... Earlier, I thought I saw your eyes glow like that.” His eyes flickered between her face and her still lit hand as he pointed. “You’ve really a ghost which means you’re…” His speech slowed as his eyes widened, shining with sadness. “You’re dead.” He practically leapt to his feet, waving his arms. “You’re dead. You’ve been dead this entire time. You’re-”

“Dipper! Stop!” Elle cut the boy off as she rose to her feet and extinguished her ectoenergy. She grabbed one of his arms. “I’m not dead.” 

The boy suddenly stopped, jaw falling again. "But.. you just said you were a ghost."

"I'm half ghost." She corrected pointedly.

"Half ghost?" Dipper questioned.

Elle blew out a breath at her friend's lingering confusion. “Yeah, Half ghost and half human. I’m a...human-ghost hybrid.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I am a ghost but I’m a human too. And…. I’m not dead…”

The boy continued to study her, his expression equal parts confused and distressed. “But...how can you be both? Ghosts are the spirits of dead people and you’re…” He looked down at her hand that was still around his wrists. “You’re solid and warm and..you’re breathing but…” He pulled away. “Are you possessed? Is this you trying to tell me you’re possessed because if you are-”

Elle cut him off again. “Dipper, I’m not possessed. These are my powers.” Again, she demonstrated, deliberately turning a hand invisible. “See. I’m doing this. There isn’t a ghost controlling me. It’s just...this is just me.” The boy said nothing, staring at her hand. Elle bit her lip. “Maybe….I should transform. That might help you understand.”

Dipper’s eyes flickered back up to her face. “Transform?”

“Yeah uhh...into my ghost form. Since I have a human form.” She motioned down her body. “And a ghost form.” 

The boy nodded, seeming to follow what she was saying even if the blank look suggested he still had no idea what she meant.

Elle took a step back. “Okay. So...there’s this light that's gonna form around me and I’ll change. You...uhh...might not want to look directly at me. It’s bright.”

With another nod from the other teen, the half ghost summoned the ring of light. Dipper’s eyes widened at the sight and remained fixed even as the light moved across Elle’s form. The light passed Elle’s head, stealing the breath from her lungs. A moment later, the familiar chill and weightlessness enveloped her, leaving the girl floating in ghost form a few inches above the ground.

As Dipper hadn’t looked away, he squinted at her, blinking the spots from his vision. After what felt like minutes but was really seconds, he focused on her face again. “Elle?” He took a tentative step forward. “Is that really you?”

The girl nodded. “Yeah. I know I kinda look different but… it’s still me.”

The boy took another cautious step forward, the shocked look on his face morphing into awe. “Wow. You do look so different.” Elle frowned, shifting nervously in the air. Dipper shook his head, noticing her reaction. “No, I mean...you look so different from the other ghost I’ve seen. You’re not see-through at all. You look solid…” He reached a hand forward. “Can I...uh… touch you?”

The girl blushed. “Uh...sure?” She put an arm forward and let Dipper take it.

His eyes lit up. “You are solid but...you’re so cold.” His lips turned down. “And you’re not...you’re not dead?”

Elle shook her head. “No. I even still have a heartbeat in this form. Here if you press down on my pulse point, you should feel it.”

With a hum, the boy did so. Slowly, he smiled, his voice ringing with relief. “You do.” 

“Yeah.” Elle gently removed her arm from his grasp. “So not dead. Or half dead. Or anything like that.”

Dipper blinked. “But then how...how are you like this?”

The girl paled. “Well that’s...that’s complicated.” She bit her lip, again shifting nervously.

The other teen stepped back. “Oh...sorry. Sorry if that’s personal. You don’t have to tell me.” Clearly he’d picked up on her discomfort but despite the words, Elle could still see the pure curious interest in his eyes.

The half ghost sighed. “No...I wanna tell you but...it’s hard to talk about and…” 

Dipper’s expression softened. “It’s okay.”

Elle shook her head. “I’ll just say...I was in a bad place with a bad person. That bastard. I was…I was an experiment to him. He hurt me and…” She swallowed. “And other people too.” She clenched and unclenched her fists, thinking about the other clones. “He tried to get me to help him. I...I should’ve died. I should be dead.” Dipper’s eyes widened in alarm at the statement but she continued. “I almost died but...Danny saved me.” A small smile spread across her face at the statement.

“Danny?” The boy raised a brow. “You mean your brother?”

The half ghost blinked, realizing what she said. “Yeah...I guess I should mention….Danny’s half ghost like me.”

“Your brother’s...half ghost?” He put a hand on his head. “But how..wait, is this genetic or something?”

“Or something.” Elle shrugged, trying to avoid the topic. “Anyway, Danny’s half ghost too and he saved my life. He got me out of that place or...guess we helped each other escape really. But still...I would have probably died that day without him.” Her face fell at the last part, remembering Vlad’s hate filled face, how the man would have driven her to the point of destabilization if Danny hadn’t refused to fight her. She swallowed. “And...I got really sick after that.” She shivered, the memory of her body numb and dripping green fashed in her mind. Those dark, cold nights when her body was threatening to fall apart and she’d feared that she’d died there on the streets. But- “Danny found a way to make me better. He...he saved me. He saved my life, again. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.” In more ways than one, she thought almost ruefully. But she smiled fondly anyway. 

Dipper frowned for a long moment, taking in all she said. “Wow, that’s...that’s a lot. That sounds really awful.”

“Yeah. It sucked.” Elle rubbed the back of her neck. “But everything’s okay now.” Which was true for the most part. “I’m healthy. That fruitloop is out of my life. I’ve got an incredible family and…” She smiled very deliberately at Dipper. “I finally have friends.”

The boy blushed at the attention, though he also smiled. “Yeah, friends. And...I’m happy things are better for you know.”

Elle sighed, feeling happiness at his agreement along with a sense of relief. She’d shared the barest hint of all she’d gone through but it felt good to say at least a portion of it. Although...she looked back at Dipper who was looking at her thoughtfully.Her stomach flopped as she wondered what he was thinking. 

“You’re taking this well.” She said, slightly skeptically. “But...I guess you’re kinda used to the paranormal.”

Dipper raised a brow. “I don’t think there’s any getting used to your friend secretly being a supernatural creature.”

“Part supernatural creature.” She snorted. “So….do you have any more questions?”

“Do I? Well…”

* * *

Dipper of course had dozens of questions for the newly revealed halfa. After posing several questions about her powers and requests to demonstrate, Elle turned human and asked to go somewhere more secluded. The pair made their way away from the field hosting the fair and into the woods, far enough to not be seen by any of the townsfolk but close enough to easily find their way back to the Shack.

Elle demonstrated her powers and the two talked more about the Ghost Zone and ghosts. Dipper even learned about Elle’s superhero alter-ego and Phantom’s real identity . Again, it was nice sharing the truth with someone. The boy wasn’t angry that she’d waited or distrustful of her. Instead, his enthusiasm and wonder was infectious, lifting her spirits. He clearly thought what she was, what she could do was wondrous and incredible, not weird and inhuman. In an odd way, it reminded her of her dad and the child-like wonder he exhibited when talking about ghosts. The man had worn similar expressions when watching either of his two half ghost children display their powers. The reaction made her literally glow with happiness. Until…

“Hey, Elle.” Dipper put down the journal he’d been jotting down notes in. “Thanks for showing me all this. I could tell how nervous you were earlier about telling me so...thank you for trusting me with your secret.”

And just like that, an underlying tension surged. She’d shared a secret but not her biggest one, not about her origin as a clone. Her stomach flopped. She could tell him about that now, right?. He accepted her being a halfa; learning that she was a clone too wouldn’t change that. But…doubt stabbed in her heart. It would change the way he saw her. He’d know that she was not a real person but a fake, a copy, a hateful voice whispered.

No, Elle shook her head. She wasn’t those things. She’s been over this again and again, reassured by her family. She was a real person, her own person.

“Come on.” Dipper interrupted her thoughts. “Let’s head back to the fair.”

“Oh, yeah. Sure.” Elle shrugged, returning to human form.

The boy led her back to the field, stopping as they cleared the trees. “Do you want to play some games?” He pointed. “I’m pretty good at balloon darts.”

“Let’s do it.” The girl agreed.

With that, the pair of friends walked to the stall and played the game. All the while, Elle’s thoughts tumbled her head. She really should tell him about how she really got her powers and....She watched Mabel walk by with her friends...She needed to tell the other girl as well. Elle frowned. Well, one thing at a time then. She’d talk to Mabel about being half ghost and then...figure out what to do next.

* * *

About an hour later, Mabel joined back up with Elle and Dipper. “Candy and Grenda had to leave so I’m back!” She grinned. Then she wiggled her eyebrows. “Did you two have fun?”

Elle raised a brow at that tone; what exactly was she implying?

Dipper either didn’t pick up in the expression or chose to ignore it. Instead he excitedly said. “Yeah! Mabel you won’t believe what Elle-”

The half ghost elbowed the boy in the side, cutting him off. “Dipper.”

“What?” He shrugged, slightly confused and slightly incredulous. Elle gave him a pointed look and a moment later, understanding dawned on his face. “Oh, right. I guess you should tell her yourself.“

“Tell me what?” Mabel questioned.

Elle bit her lip. “More like show you. Let’s...let’s go somewhere private.”

Without further questions, the group went back to the area in the woods where Elle and Dipper talked earlier. Once they arrived, the half ghost turned around to face her two friends.

“So...I’m half ghost.” She started, already cursing herself for not deciding to tell both twins at the same time. Really, why did she keep doing this? It wasn’t that she didn’t like or trust Mabel so why...

She pushed the idea out of her head to focus on explaining and showing off her powers. Much as she had with Dipper, she gave a very vague explanation of why she was half ghost and the awful things that happened before she was stabilized.

“I’m sorry that happened to you.” Mabel said, after she finished.

With a huff, the girl touched down on the ground. “Yeah..it was really bad but...I came out okay.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “And like I said, Danny helped me.” 

The other girl’s expression softened. “He sounds like a good brother.”

Elle nodded. “He really is.” That was true, no matter the complicated feelings she had about being his clone.

“Are you two close?” The halfa rose a brow Mabel’s question and the other girl continued. “The two of you have the same powers and all the stuff you went through together? I know with all the crazy stuff that happened last summer, all the times I had to save Dipper’s butt.”

“Hey!” Said boy gave a somewhat indignant cry. “You saved my butt? I saved your butt!”

Mabel glared at him without heat. “We saved each other’s butts. But anyway...we got closer, after everything that happened.”

Dipper lowered his pointed finger. “You’re right.” His expression turned fond. “We did.”

Elle glanced between the brother and sister, fondness entering her heart at the thought of her own living siblings. “You’re right. Danny and me are close. Well...I’m closer to him than Jazz anyway. Some of that is being half ghost.” Though some was, she had known him longer than she had known Jazz. “He got his powers first so he’s taught me things. And all the stuff that happened with the fruitloop…” She bit her lip. “I know he’ll always have my back.” Elle shook her head; she could say more, a lot more. Her relationship with the older teen was complicated. “I mean...he sometimes drives me nuts and...” This was saying a lot from a clone. “I wonder how the heck we’re even related.”

That earned a laugh from Mabel. “Same. I mean, brothers?” She jabbed a thumb at Dipper. “What are you gonna do with them?”

The mentioned boy rolled his eyes. “I love you too.” 

His sister stuck out her tongue and Elle giggled.

The halfa then shrugged. “But yeah….I guess the point is...it’s not always perfect. But Danny’s my big bro. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

There was a pause as Elle let the statement settle and the silence stretched. From the fond looks the pair of twins traded, the half ghost was sure each thought the same of their respective sibling even if neither was going to say it out loud. Granted, Elle wasn’t sure how much of that said she would say to Danny out loud but...maybe she should. Maybe after this, she’d call Jazz and Danny and thank them for encouraging her to trust Dipper and Mabel. She’d tell the two how much she loved them.

Speaking of trusting….she did have more to tell them but…

“Elle! Can you show us your ice again?” Dipper grinned excitedly. 

Mabel beamed similarity. “Can you make snowballs?! Oh, can we have a snowball fight?”

The halfa laughed, forming a snowball in her hands. “I don’t know…” She threw it at Mabel and smiled. “Can we?”

A shocked expression crossed the girl’s face before she shrieked with laughter. “No fair. Me and Dipper need snowballs too!”

With that, the half ghost made a pile of snowballs. As the three had a snowball fight in the middle of the summer, Elle was again happy that she told her friends about her powers and she could share this with them. There was still that little secret about being a clone which kept rearing its head. But for now…. Elle laughed as a snowball hit her in the back.

* * *

After the impromptu snowball fight, the group went back to the fair. Elle looked side to side; there were noticeably less people around and many of the game and food stalls were closed.

Mabel frowned. “I guess we ended up talking for a long time.”

“Sorry you didn’t get to see much of the fair.” Dipper said.

“That’s okay. I still had fun with you guys.” Elle shrugged.

The twins both smiled at the statement. Mabel then waved. “Come on. Let’s ride the Ferris wheel before they close.”

The three got in line for the ride and soon after loaded onto one of the cars. The group happily chatted. As they rose higher, Dipper and Mabel oohed and awed at the sight. Elle looked around with considerably less awe. The sight was beautiful but she could see it all time she liked; she could fly of her own power after all. But still she smiled, enjoying her friends’ reactions.

That is...until she looked through one of the windows of the Shack and again, saw the misty form of Tyrone. Her smile fell; there he was in the window again, watching, waiting and probably hoping she’d come up with a way to make him fully visible and audible. Guilt wrapped around Elle’s heart; she’d forgotten about him all day, too busy hanging out with Dipper and Mabel and thinking about herself. She’d been worried about telling them about her status as a clone but there was another clone to worry about. She still needed to figure out how to tell them about Tyrone. But how to have that conversation, that definitely painful conversation that Tyrone didn’t want to have yet?

“Look! It’s the water tower!” Mabel grabbed her arm and pointed, drawing Elle out of the train of thought.

The halfa tilted her head. “Is that a muffin painted on the side?” 

Dipper waved exaggeratedly. “That’s what I said!” The boy crossed his arms. “Robbie says it’s an explosion, though.”

“An explosion?” Elle raised a brow. “Huh? I can kinda see it.”

The boy’s mouth fell open and his nose wrinkled. “Traitor.” He muttered.

At that, Mabel laughed. “I think Elle’s right. It does look like an explosion.”

The two girls continued to laugh at the other teen’s offended expression. More quips were traded as the Ferris Wheel spun around. After several minutes, the ride ended. The trio walked around the fair for a while as the sun set before going back to the Shack after the fair closed.

As soon as Elle walked into the living room, her ghost sense stirred in his chest before exiting her mouth. She crossed her eyes, looking at the blue mist. 

“What was that?” Dipper asked, apparently having noticed.

“Ghost sense. I guess...our friend’s around.” She frowned. “I don’t see him though. I’ll just…” She looked side to side. Seeing no one around, she summoned the rings. “I’ll look for him.”

Elle half-smiled, enjoying the twin’s awed looks at her transformation. But she was still worried about the ghost she’d sensed. After that conversation this morning, he’d been alone all day and based on glimpses, Tyrone had been watching the going-ons at the fair. She sighed as she phased through the ceiling, wondering what she’d say when she found the ghostly clone. And what would she tell Dipper and Mabel?

In quick succession, she invisibly flew through the house, searching. Where was he? Her core pulsed with the familiar cold of sensing another ghost. But there was no mist, no semi transparent figure. Where was Tyrone?

Five minutes later, Elle returned to her friends.

“Did you find him?” Dipper asked hopefully.

The half ghost shook her head. “No...I sensed him a few more times but he’s nowhere to be found.”

“Oh.” Dipper seemed to sober at that. “Do you think he’s still upset about last night?”

“Maybe…” Elle’s stomach flopped at the idea. Maybe he was still upset. It wasn’t like him, just disappearing. Again she worried. Was he moping? Avoiding her? Avoiding the twins? “Maybe he...he doesn’t want to see any of us.”

That was kinda hard to believe but...with how upset he got seeing the twins, how he didn’t want to tell them about his true identity...maybe he didn’t want to see them. And her….what exactly were they gonna talk about after that bombshell?”

Mabel frowned. “What do we do now?”

Elle swallowed. "I guess...he’ll show up again eventually.”

“And we keep researching.” Dipper said, eyes downcast. “I wish we could do something.”

Guilt churned in her gut as part of her whispered, she could do something. She could tell Dipper and Mabel that the ghost was Tyrone but… the ghostly clone’s uncertain and distraught face flashed in her mind. Would it be more painful for him if the two knew but he remained unseen and unheard? Won’t he be angry if she told them without his permission?

Heart aching, Elle remained silent. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's part 3! The identity of the Shack's ghost is revealed and Dipper and Mabel now about Elle being half ghost. Other secrets still need to be shared so be on the look out of the last and final (I mean it this time!) part in the near future.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I say this was going to be the last chapter? Ops....well I wrote what was supposed to be the last chapter and it ended up super long so I cut it in half. I'm posting the first part and once I edit the rest, I'll post the actual end in a few days.  
> Also, I really need a proper name for this story. So if anyone has any idea or suggestions, I'll take them. If anyone comes up with something that I ended up using, I'll be sure to credit them.   
> Finally, happy reading!

Her mind was anything but silent. Her brain swarmed with thoughts, throughout a quiet dinner and half-hearted attempt at board games (unsurprisingly the twins weren't enthusiastic after that sobering encounter). Long past the time she should be asleep, the half ghost found herself staring at the ceiling, her thoughts drifting. She sighed, her heart still clenching with guilt- over not telling Dipper and Mabel about Tyrone and about her status as a clone. But if she could find some way so that the twins could see and hear the other ghosts or if Tyrone would show up so they could brainstorm…..

With a huff, Elle sat up. She wasn’t going to get to sleep anytime soon, not like this, and she was getting sick of staring at the ceiling. Maybe she should go flying or sit on the roof for a bit. With barely a thought, she triggered her core to transform and floated off the bed. She flew through the roof, pausing as the light of the moon fell on her face. She let out a breath, sitting down on the ledge of the roof. The view really was beautiful; maybe she’d wait and watch the stars.

Some time passed as she looked at the sky and tried (and failed) to not worry about Tyrone. Then a creak sounded behind her. Elle turned, finding a familiar boy behind her. With the moonlight, he almost glowed ethereally; for a moment she thought he was-

“What are you doing up here?” He asked, voice without even a hint of echo.

Elle frowned. “ Dipper, it’s you.”

“Yeah, It’s me.” He looked at her strangely, repeating. “What are you doing up here?”

The girl blushed. “Oh, I was just...I was...thinking about our ghostly friend.”

“Oh…” His confused expression bled into something sad. “You’re trying to figure out who he is?” 

Elle bit her lip, debating. She knew who the ghost was but she couldn’t exactly tell her friend; Tyrone had begged her not too. She sighed. “I’m thinking about how we can help him. If you and Mabel could see him...or if I could actually talk to him….”

“Oh yeah…” Dipper huffed, coming to sit beside her. “I barely thought about him today.” He looked down, guiltily.

“We'll figure something out.” Elle said half heartedly. “But anyway, what’s got you up?”

The boy sighed, studying a particular spot on the roof. He glanced at her cautiously. “Can I...can I tell you something?”

The half ghost blinked, startled by the question or really, by his attitude. He looked uncharacteristically upset. About the ghost haunting the Shack maybe? After a moment, she answered. “Yeah?”

“I keep thinking about… I keep thinking about….Tyrone.” He whispered.

Elle tilted her head, not expecting that. She was really, really not expecting that. It was like...it came from nowhere. But maybe he’d realized -

“You have?” She asked, part hopeful and part cautious.

Dipper nodded. “Since we told you about the copier and you said...what you said, that Tyrone was my clone but maybe not actually me….” Nervously, he picked at his nails. “That keeps...ringing in my head. I can’t stop thinking about it and about what happened to him and…” He trailed off.

“Oh” The girl bit her lip, suddenly guilty. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I brought that up.”

Dipper shook his head. “No, don’t be. You….you made me realize I miss him. I’ve missed him so much this year. But...I didn’t understand that that was what I was feeling or why. I mean….the two of us…we were so in sync, really the perfect team. We thought the same, like we were really the same person and….no one understood me like he did.” He looked down at the last part. “But….I kept replaying that idea, what you said, in my head and….” His voice quieted, turning pained. “I don’t…I don’t know how I didn’t see it then but…there was something different about him, compared to the others. And not just ‘cause Tyrone had a name but….the two of us actually talked and came up with the plan to dance with Wendy together. I didn’t really talk to the others, just told them what to do and they did it. And…” He laughed humorlessly. “Tyrone’s the one who got mad at me for not following our plan and the other clones just followed when he locked me in the closet.” He shook his head, a fond smile on his face. “The doofus left me snacks and a coloring book in there in case I got bored or hungry. And…Tyrone figured out how to escape the sprinklers.” He clenched his shaking fists, taking a deep breath. “There was…a light in his eyes, a spark that just wasn’t in the others. And I…how didn’t I see it?”

The girl startled at the words, the honesty. She reached out to comfort. “It’s okay.” 

“No it’s just.” He ripped his arm away. “For the past…for the past year, I told myself that he wasn’t real. That missing him was ridiculous and narcissistic and the only reason I did was because I didn’t have any friends other than my sister. But….” His voice broke. “He was real, wasn’t he? Tyrone was a real, actual person. And…he’s not melted, he’s dead. He’s dead. And it’s my fault because I made him in the first place. And I gave him that freaking pit cola and just watched it happen. I’m the only one who even knew him and I haven’t even mourned, because I thought he didn’t deserve it because he wasn’t real.”

Dipper wrapped his arms around his knees. To Elle’s surprise, he’d started crying at some point. The girl shifted slightly, before tentatively putting one arm around him. Her heart ached as she let him cry. But she said nothing, too stunned to force any words out. She had...she had no idea he actually listened and thought about her words. But he had. Dipper had taken them to heart and now he was mourning and… He knew Tyrone was someone, a real person. Her heart skipped a beating, remembering the ghostly clone’s broken words.  _ Just a copy. What will they think of me? _ What would they think…. Well, Elle didn’t know about Mabel but Dipper….Dipper saw his personhood, his potential. Her eyes widened; she had to tell-

The boy started talking, cutting off her thoughts. He sniffled. “But yeah, sorry to dump that on you. It’s not your fault but…I keep thinking about him, especially since...earlier...I thought I saw...” 

Elle gasped, just managing to squeak out. “You saw...?”

Dipper swallowed. “I think...I think...I..I had this dream where Tyrone was floating over my bed. He was crying and….” His voice choked. “He begged me to see him and talk to him. And I could see him but….I was frozen. I couldn’t move, couldn’t talk. Then I woke up and I remembered that it happened a year ago.”

“It…? A year ago?” The half ghost would blush at her parroting if she wasn’t busy freaking out.

“A year ago.” The boy nodded. “ I used...I used that freaking copier and somehow it made Tyrone.” A sickly smile covered his face. “He’d be a year old now if….” His expression flipped, turning into a hateful sneer. “If I hadn’t killed him a f-cking can of Pit Soda. Instead he’s dead so yeah, happy DeathDay Tyrone.”

With that, the boy roughly pulled away from her and tightly clenched his fists. He looked like he wanted to scream or hit something, his shoulders tense with self-directed anger. Beside him, Elle was frozen, her mind short circuiting. Tyrone…how…why…could he really…did he really…. Her blood ran cold. Dipper actually saw him earlier. She had no idea how, when he hadn’t been able to last night. But he must have; there was no other way. But he thought it was a dream, a fantasy or a nightmare conjured by his unconscious mind. He hadn’t realized it was real, meaning….

Her core flickered with her anxiety, ice flowing through her veins.

Dipper shivered. “It’s cold. Elle, is that you? Or is our ghost friend here?”

No, their ghost friend, Dipper’s clone, Tyrone was not here. Because he was downstairs thinking that Dipper just saw him as a copy, not worth mourning. But…

“Elle?” The boy ventured.

Cold pulsed from the half ghost’s core as her mind continued to race. She had...She had to tell him, to tell Dipper that Tyrone wasn’t gone. He wasn’t...well he was still dead but he was still here. The two of them still had a chance. But...she bit her lip. She’d told Tyrone she wouldn’t; she couldn’t break his trust now. But….with all she’d told Dipper, with how Dipper just poured out his heart, how can she remain silent about this? But...she promised the other ghost. The girl felt torn in two directions by the choice.

“I need to find him.” She suddenly spat out. 

“Who?” Dipper blinked at her.

Elle ignored as ice crept across the roof tiles. She ran fingers through her hair. “We need to talk. Maybe...maybe...I can convince him and We’ll-” 

The other teen cut her off. “Elle?! What are you talking about?” 

Her mouth snapped shut as she blushed in embarrassment and shame. “I...I’m sorry. The...the Shack’s ghost...I...I promised him...I can’t tell you.”

Dipper glared, open mouthed. “But-” 

Elle didn’t hear the rest of his plea as she flickered invisible and phased through the roof.

* * *

Moments later, Elle phased through the roof of her room. "Tyrone!" She called, hopefully. He had to be here. "Tyrone!" The half ghost tried again, to silence. "Please, we need to talk. I think...I think Dipper saw you tonight but he thinks it was a dream. If we just...if I just tell him, then-"

Tyrone's sudden appearance cut off her words. His eyes were wide, brow wrinkled with shock and worry.

Elle sighed in relief anyway. "You're here! I was worried." She shook her head. "Anyway. I need to tell Dipper about you."

The ghostly clone's eyes widen even more. He wavered backwards, waving his hands.  _ No.  _ For once, the static was clear.

"Please Ty. I can't… I can't keep lying to Dipper and Mabel. Plus …." Her pleading tone shifted into something more hopeful. "He told me some things today. And….he'd be so happy to know you're here."

Tyrone looked doubtful. His mouth opened to argue but then, the door burst open.

Gasping, the half ghost jumped back as Dipper barged in. 

“Elle!” He exclaimed. “What are you-” The boy cut himself off, eyes widening. 

The girl’s brow wrinkled for a moment in confusion; he’d probably come down here to figure out why she ran off so why-

“I must be dreaming.” Dipper muttered, voice shaking. “There’s no way. This isn’t...it’s not...it’s not real.” He furiously shook his head. “No. He’s...he’s not…”

The half ghost felt her heart stop, her blood run cold. Slowly her eyes drifted from the living boy in front of the door and to his ghostly double. 

Tyrone’s jaw dropped in shock. He wavered forward in the air, eyes pinned in the other boy. A long moment later, his voice warbled with static.

“No. You’re not...you’re not here.” Dipper choked. “I..I killed you.”

The living boy was shaking, looking like he would collapse or flee from the room. All the while, he stared at the misty form of his ghostly clone. More static cracked as the ghost boy tried to speak again, reaching forward.

Dipper pinched his eyes closed. “I’m just dreaming...You’re not real.”

With that Elle’s mind finally caught up. “No Dipper, he’s here…” She swallowed. “I can see him too.”

The human boy’s head whipped up. With wide eyes, he whispered. “What?”

“I can see him too. He’s real.” The half ghost said, pleadingly.

“He’s….?” Dipper’s breath caught in his throat, hope leaking into his voice. With shakingly legs, he stumbled towards the other boy. 

At the same time, the ghost boy floated forward again, tentatively. He stopped, only a foot away so the two were eye to eye. It was strangely similar to last night, except…..this time Dipper’s eyes knowingly fell on the figure in front of him. 

“Tyrone?” He asked, his voice quivering with a dozen emotions but paramount was hope.

The other boy nodded, slowly cracking a smile.  _ Hey, Dipper. _

“Tyrone. You’re...you’re here. You’re real.” The boy sounded like he could hardly believe the words coming out of his mouth. 

The ghost boy nodded eagerly. “ _ Yes...I’m here.” _

That seemed to encourage Dipper. “You’re here. You’re actually here! I…” His eyes started watering with joy. “I missed you so much. I-” 

He moved to wrap his arms around the other boy but his arms passed right through the insubstantial figure. Dipper shivered and tried again, brow furrowing. A third time gave the same result, making the living boy’s lip quiver. “Why can’t...why can’t I touch you?”

Tyrone whimpered, a grieved muttering exiting his mouth as he tried to return the hug.

Dipper stopped, rapidly stepping back. “I can’t….I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

The ghostly clone tried again but his words just sounded as a cacophony of desperate static.

The living boy’s eyes widened and he started tearing up. “Tyrone. I don’t know what you’re saying.”

Distressingly, the statement just seemed to make the ghost boy more upset. Tyrone reached forward, hand again going through Dipper’s. His lip trembled.

The other boy sniffled. “I...I’m sorry.” His eyes trailed down the semi-translucent body. “I can’t touch you or understand you or….” A tear fell down Dipper’s face “I still don’t know how to help you….”

Dipper trailed off, shoulders starting to shake. Again, Tyrone reached forward but paused before actually reaching for the other boy’s hand. He swallowed, a look of concentration covering his face. The color of his hand shifted, the limb losing some of its transparency. Then he took Dipper’s hand in his. 

The living boy’s eyes widened. “I can...I can feel that.” He sounded awed.

The ghost nodded, pinching his eyes closed. “ _ We’ll figure this out….together.” _

Something in the statement bolstered the other boy. He half-smiled, despite his still watering eyes. “Yeah. Together.”

There was a pause. Then the ghost asked.  _ “You….you missed me?” _

Dipper nodded. “Yeah.” He whipped his wet face with his free hand. “I missed you so much, man.”

Tyrone squeezed the hand he was holding.  _ “I missed you too.” _

“You did?” The other boy said, part disbelieving and part hopeful.

The ghost nodded enthusiastically. 

Dipper swallowed. “I’m sorry...I’m sorry about everything that happened. For using you and the others like that, for….melting you. For…” He took a deep breath. “For not seeing that you were real, back then.”

The ghost’s image flickered, his hand falling through Dipper’s as his mouth fell open. After a long moment, he shook his head and said something that was lost in static.

The corner of the other boy’s mouth twitched down at his lack of understanding.

Then Tyrone tried to speak again, his brow furrowed in concentration.  _ “Real?” _

“Yes. Of course, you’re real.” Dipper frowned, looking down. “Maybe if I’d understood that then, you’d still be here in the flesh.” He bit his lip. “Or whatever you call enchanted paper and ink.”

The ghostly clone's eyes remained wide, taking in what the other boy had said for a long while. Eventually his shock faded into a soft hope, his gaze kind.  _ “But...we have another chance now, right?” _

Dipper looked up. Slowly, the corner of his lip turned up. “Yeah. I guess we do.”

The ghost’s staticy voice buzzed in agreement. There was a silence for a while as the two boys just looked at each other. Not staring at each other in shock or disbelief. Not with judgement or scorn. But with soft happiness and wonder. Pure joy at being reunited shined in the pair’s tear-filled eyes. The two stepped forward in sync, Dipper’s arms wrapping around the cold mist of Tyrone’s chest and the ghost’s insubstantial arms returning the favor. It wasn’t quite a hug but a close approximation. As close as the living boy and his double could get when Tyrone remained unable to become fully solid and Dipper couldn’t turn intangible.

“I can still barely believe this is happening.” Dipper was saying softly. “So much has happened since...you know. I should probably tell you about it… if you want.”

The ghost boy nodded eagerly, muttering something in static.

Meanwhile, Elle shuffled awkwardly as she watched the tender scene. She bit her lip. A large part of her was overjoyed to see Dipper and Tyrone reunited but at the same time…it felt like she was spying on something intimate. This moment belonged to the two boys in front of her, for them to reconnect as best they could and to figure out who and what they were to each other.

She averted her eyes and coughed softly. “Uhh...sorry to interrupt. I’m gonna…” She jabbed her thumb towards the door.

Both boys turned to look at her. Dipper’s eyes widened as he stepped out of the semi-hug. “Oh….we’re in your room. We can uh….” He glanced at Tyrone. “We can go somewhere else to talk. Maybe the roof?”

The ghostly clone shrugged, mouthing. ‘Sure’. He floated up, pointing to himself and then towards the ceiling. He then pointed at Dipper and to the door. 

The other boy nodded in understanding. “I can meet you up there.” Then he bit his lip nervously, looking between Tyrone and the door.

The ghost frowned, his lips moving to form the question. ‘What?”

His original blushed. “I...I’m kinda scared to let you out of my sight. Like...you’ll disappear again….”

Tyrone’s face softened. He floated back down. With some concentration, he grabbed Dipper’s wrists and started leading him towards the door.

“Hey. What are you...?” The living boy asked. “Oh...we’ll go together.”

The clone nodded. Then he paused in front of Elle. His lips turned up into a bright smile. ‘Thank you.’ He mouthed, his eyes shining such incredible gratitude.

“Yeah, thank you.” Dipper nodded, agreeing. “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been here.” His shoulders rose somewhat sheepishly.

The half ghost gave him a comforting smile. “No problem. Of course I’d be here and...I’m really happy you guys found each other.”

Both boys nodded. Then Dipper opened the door. Cautiously, he poked his head out and looked both ways down the hallway. He looked back at his ghostly double and waved him forward. “Come on Ty.”

Elle watched the two walk and float down the hall, towards the stairs to the attic. Soon, the pair were out of sight and the girl closed the door.

With a sigh, the halfa returned to human form and sat down on her bed. Elle smiled. She meant what she said; she was ecstatic to see Dipper and Tyrone reunited, though she hadn’t imagined it going like that. None of the scenarios that had crossed her mind featured Dipper barging in. Granted…. after running off on him, the half ghost really shouldn’t have been surprised that he came after her. But Dipper had. He’d barged in, saw Tyrone, and the two- original and clone- had been tearfully reunited.

Speaking of original….the girl reached for her phone, smiling as her lockscreen picture of her, Danny, and Jazz popped up. She suddenly wanted to talk to her brother, to tell him about everything that happened. But...it was pretty late and with the different time zone, it was even later in Amity. But then again knowing Danny, there was a large chance he was still awake playing Doomed. 

Without anymore debate, Elle dialed his number. On the third ring, her brother picked up. 

“Hello?” He asked, sleepily.

“Hey Danny. It’s Elle. Did I wake you up?” She blushed, suddenly guilty.

“Nah. Just logged off Doomed.” He yawned. “Wait...Elle?” Worry entered his voice, making him sound more awake. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. I just wanted to talk to you.” She bit her lip. “Sorry. I should’ve just waited ‘til the morning.”

“It’s fine.” He said sincerely. “Just tell me what you’re thinking.”

Elle sighed. “So….I found out who the Shack’s ghost is and he’s Dipper’s clone, Tyrone.”

There was a pause. “What?” Danny asked with mild confusion.

“The ghost that’s been haunting the Mystery Shack is Tyrone. I actually saw his face this morning and talked to him.”

“Well, that’s unexpected.” The boy said, shock on his voice.

“Yeah. I can barely believe it but it’s really him. Oh and Dipper found out literally ten minutes ago; he barged in and saw Tyrone when the two of us were talking.”

"Oh, wow …..how did both of them take it?"

Elle smiled. "Really good. They went up to the roof to talk. I think you both really missed each other."

"I can imagine." Danny said knowingly. "They must be really happy to see each other." Then his voice turned sober. "And Dipper saw him die, didn't he? Losing Tyrone like that must have been horrible." The boy swallowed and Elle could imagine his pained frown. But then his tone became something more hopeful. "But finding out that he's not gone, finally getting him back. Dipper must be so happy."

"He is." The corner of her mouth turned up. "And I guess we both understand that."

"Yeah." Again, Danny sounded so certain, so knowing. And Elle understood it completely. How could she not when she and Danny had come so close to being in the same situation?

The half ghost girl remembered the older boy's face as her body fell apart, as she destabilized. She'd been terrified but at the same time hopeful as he dashed in with a solution. But then it hadn't worked. She watched as devastation overtook his features as he pleaded for her to hang on. She'd tried, equally devastated, equally desperate not to die.

She'd blacked out, an unseeing, unfeeling, unknowing puddle. For a moment, it was like she was gone, like she didn’t exist at all. And then suddenly she was back. She had eyes again. She had a head, hands, feet, a body. For a long moment, she blinked slowly realizing she still existed. 

Then her eyes had fallen on Danny, her original, her cousin,  _ her brother. _ She hadn't dared to even consider that yet. She'd barely been able to think he might see her as anything more than a copy, that he might even love her. But Danny was on his knees, his eyes fixed down. He was crying, muttering apologizes through his sobs.

Elle had floated from the floor. She'd quipped something stupid in a effort to cover how freaked out as she disbelieving shock turned into relieved happiness. She'd back flipped in her elation, her eyes falling on the older half ghost as he whipped around. And-

"You were really happy at Vlad's when I...uhh.. when you saved me with that ecto dejecto." 

His eyes had shone with relief as he rushed forward to embrace her. He’d squeezed her in his arms, holding her tight like she was precious. Together, they'd shared a moment of pure joy, relief, and love. 

Across the line, the boy swallowed. "Of course I was happy. I thought I'd lost you, El."

"But you didn't." The girl said softly. "It turned out okay."

"Yeah, it did." Something in Elle's tone seemed to bolster the other halfa. "Man...we've both really come a long way since then, huhh?"

“We have.” The girl nodded, remembering her conversation with the twins this afternoon about what she and Danny had been through. “You told our parents about your powers. I started going to school.” She chuckled, then her voice turned more serious. “And I actually have a home and family now. I’ve got Mom and Dad and Jazz and...You. You know... you’re a good big brother.”

“Aw, Elle?” The boy’s voice ticked up teasingly. “Are you getting all mushy on me?”

The other half ghost gasped. “I’m being serious! I was gonna say, you’re a really supportive and understanding big bro. And thank you for encouraging me to talk to Dipper and Mabel.” She crossed her arms, only somewhat mock offended. “But I guess that’s too mushy for you.”

There was a pause as the boy took in the words. When he finally spoke, there was no teasing in his voice but sincerity. “No, sis. It’s...it’s not too mushy. It’s...sweet, I guess.” Elle could hear the smile in his voice. “And you’re a good sister too. I’m really happy to have you in my life.”

“Oh. Thanks Danny.” The girl blushed at the compliment.

The older boy chuckled. “See, I can be mushy too.” Then his tone sobered somewhat. “So you talked to your friends?”

“Yeah, I did. Earlier today actually, before Dipper found out about Tyrone. I told him and Mabel about me being half ghost.” She smiled. “They took it really well.”

“They did?” Danny sounded happy and relieved. “That’s great, Elle.”

“Yeah. We had a snowball fight and everything after I showed off my ice powers.” She chuckled. “I felt a lot better after telling them everything.” Elle frowned, realizing what she said. "Well...almost everything."

"Oh?" Danny asked, wordlessly prompting her to continue. 

"I...uhh….haven't actually told them I'm a clone yet."

"You haven't?"

The younger half ghost shook her head. "No but….I think I'll tell them in the morning."

"Really? Why now?"

"Just….some of the stuff Dipper said about Tyrone and how he reacted to seeing him again." She swallowed. "You and Jazz were right; they're not gonna think any less of me if they know the whole truth."

“Wow….I'm proud of you. And good luck with that. I'm sure it'll be great."

"Thanks Danny." She smiled.

"No problem." The boy sighed. “Man, a lot’s happened since we talked yesterday.”

“Yep. I told Dipper and Mabel that the Shack was haunted. I tried to introduce them to Tyrone when he showed up yesterday...I mean, I didn’t know it was him last night….. But the twins couldn’t see him.”

“Wait…” Danny cut in. “You said that Dipper saw him, like literally could see Tyrone earlier tonight.”

“Yeah I….did.” Elle’s eyes widened. “You’re totally right, I did say that.” She put a hand on her forehead. “I hadn’t even realized. Dipper literally couldn’t see him at all yesterday but now he can. So how does that work?” She started rambling. “Wait...I couldn’t really see him yesterday either. He just kinda looked like a shadow or a cloud. So why could I suddenly see him this morning? I mean...yeah, I worked out Ty’s name so maybe that’s why….but Dipper didn’t have a clue. He just barged in the room unannounced.” At some point, the girl had flopped back down onto the bed. She huffed, contemplatively.

Across the line, Danny hummed in thought. “Well, what changed?”

“What changed?” The other half ghost muttered quietly. What changed? Well, yes, she and Dipper had talked about Tyrone but as far as she could tell, Dipper’s opinion hadn’t actually changed. And somehow the boy had seen the ghostly clone earlier when he was half asleep. But….

Elle’s brow furrowed, remembering something Dipper had said earlier. “It’s been a year...” She muttered.

“What?” Her brother questioned.

Her eyes widened, realizing the older teen was still listening. “Dipper told me earlier that it's been a year since Tyrone...well...died.”

“And traditional ghosts tend to be stronger on the anniversary of their death. Don’t they?” The boy asked.

Elle nodded. “Right. And that’s probably why he’s visible and not just to me. But still...” She sighed, remembering Dipper’s reaction to being unable to touch and understand Tyrone. “Tyrone’s still stuck intangible and almost everything he says comes out as static. I wish I could figure out how to help him.

Again, her brother hummed in thought. “Huh…. What if you got him some ectoplasm?”

Elle suddenly sat up, hitting her forehead with her palm. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?” She stood up and grabbed for one of her bags. “I have ectoplasm. My supplements.” The girl frowned. “Letting him have a few should be okay, right?”

“I think so...it’s not like ectoplasm can hurt a ghost. And if I know Mom, she packeted you like half a year's worth. You should have plenty.” Humor rang in his voice. “And I won’t tell Mom and Dad if you won’t.”

“Yeah, I won’t.” Elle laughed. “I’ll tell Tyrone and Dipper about that idea in the morning and see what they think.”

“And let me know how it goes, okay?”

The girl nodded. “Yeah, of course.” She yawned. “We should both get some sleep though. Talk to you later.”

“Yeah, Love you sis.”

Elle sighed. “Love you bro.” She smiled. “Good night.”

“Night.” With that Danny hung up.

The half ghost girl put her phone away and went to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I'm sure you can see, this story now has an actual title! Credit to MagicalEevee for that. And so here's the last chapter! Enjoy and feel free to let me know what you think!

Again, Elle woke up to sunlight streaming through her window. She blinked up at the ceiling, remembering last night. Her conversation with Dipper, watching the boy and his clone’s reunion, talking to Danny on the phone. And Danny’s idea, using ectoplasm to help Tyrone. Tentatively, hope crept into her heart. Maybe, just maybe this could work. She just had to figure out where the other ghost was.

Sitting up, she called softly. “Tyrone?” 

Again, her room was silent and bare as ever. Closing her eyes, she weakly reached out with her ghost sense. Sadly, she sensed nothing. Not too surprising though. Tracking a ghost once she’s sensed it was one thing. Reaching out to sensing another’s core when it was too far away or too weak was another. 

Elle’s brow furrowed in thought; where exactly was the other ghost? Actually, where did he go when he wasn’t hanging around her? Or where would he have gone after hanging out with Dipper? 

Suddenly, her core stirred in her chest. Cold air swirled in her lungs. 

“Ty?” She questioned.

A moment later, a misty figure phased through the ceiling. Elle frowned, eyes falling on the other ghost. Again, his form was fuzzy and indistinct, blurring his facial features.

Tyrone tilted his head. His static voice formed a question that was probably ‘what?’

The half ghost’s shoulders fell. “I can't see your face now.” She sighed. “I guess Danny was right. The reason me and Dipper could actually see you yesterday was ‘cause it was your...deathday.”

The clone shifted nervously at the last word. Then he asked.  _ “Da...nny?” _

“Yeah.” Elle rubbed the back of her neck. “I talked to my brother about everything that happened yesterday. Ya know, figuring out who you are, telling the twins about my powers, Dipper finding out about you.” Her eyes lit up, remembering. “Oh, how did that go? You and him hanging out.”

Tyrone’s head popped up, his gaze fixing on her. He waved his hands, his voice tilted up in happiness.

The girl raised a brow. “So I guess it went well?”

The boy nodded his head enthusiastically.

“That’s good.” The corner of Elle’s mouth turned up but then she turned more serious. “I’m sorry about….” She motioned up and down the other ghost’s body. “But...the good thing is...Danny had an idea about how to help you stay solid.” Tyrone brightened, almost literally as the girl continued. “So I really should have thought of this earlier but...we were thinking ectoplasm.”

The ghost boy titled his head, questioningly.

“Here let me show you.” With that, the half ghost stood up and retrieved one of her bags. She pulled out a vial of glowing green liquid. “Basically...this is what ghosts are made of. We get energy from ectoplasm. Without it, we’ll get weaker and less solid….or at least regular ghosts do. I’m not sure about me. But anyway….” She held the vial out to him. “Do you want to try some?”

Tyrone floated forward, studying the vial. He shifted nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

“It can’t hurt you.” Elle softly said, trying to guess why the boy was anxious. 

The other ghost muttered something sheepishly; Elle could imagine him biting his lip.

The girl’s expression softened as she suggested. “Do you want me to go find Dipper and Mabel and see what they think? Wait...does Mabel even know that you're well...you?"

Tyrone shook his head.

“Oh…” Elle frowned. “We should probably tell her.”

The other ghost titled his head back and forth before nodding in agreement. 

“Okay. How about I go get the two of them and-”

Just then, Mabel’s voice yelled up the stairs. “Elle! Come down to breakfast! There’s bacon!”

“And pancakes!” Shouted Dipper.

At the proclamation, the half ghost finally noticed the delicious scents drifting up the stairs. Her stomach growled in demand for food and she frowned down at it. “I should be getting down there. But…” She glanced back at Tyrone.

The boy waved her off. “ _ Can wait.” _

“Are you sure?” Elle bit her lip. He nodded and the half ghost took a breath. “Okay. I’ll go down stairs. We’ll have breakfast. Me and Dipper will tell Mabel about you. I’ll tell them the ectoplasm idea. Then we’ll come back upstairs.”

Tyrone nodded again and gave her a thumbs up.

With that, the girl headed for the door. “Hang tight. I’ll see you in a bit.”

With a wave which the other ghost returned, Elle exited the room. She walked down the hall towards the stairs. She’d just turned the corner to start descending when she almost ran into Dipper.

The boy stopped suddenly. “Oh, I was just coming to get you.”

Elle nodded. “Yeah, I’m coming.” Dipper turned around and they started down the stairs. The girl swallowed. “So...I was talking to Tyrone just now.”

The boy stopped, turning to face her again. “Tyrone? That’s...That really happened last night, didn’t it? He’s really back?” Though his eyes shone with happiness, he sounded like he could hardly believe it.

“It’s really him.” Elle confirmed.

Dipper shook his head. “Man….I half thought I just dreamed it but…..it’s really him.” He smiled.

“Yeah….and I think I have an idea to deal with his tangibility problem.”

The boy’s smile widened. “Really?!”

“Yep. I can tell you and your sister in a bit.”

“My sister?” Dipper blinked at her, suddenly startled.

“Yeah. Your sister. We need to tell Mabel. Ty wanted to, too.”

“He did?” He added, somewhat disbelievingly.

“I mean…he nodded when I asked about telling her.” Elle shrugged. “Actually talking’s still kinda hit or miss for him. But...my idea might help with that too.”

Dipper nodded soberly. “Okay. We can tell her. Come on.”

The pair continued down the stairs and into the kitchen. There they found Mabel pouring syrup on her pancakes. 

“There you guys are.” Mabel smiled teasingly. “I was just about to eat all your pancakes.” She stuffed a heaping amount into her mouth and chewed.

Elle chuckled at the display. She grabbed her own plate and took a seat beside the other girl. As she grabbed a few pancakes, she asked. “Where are your Grunkles?”

Mabel shrugged. “Out somewhere. Grunkle Stan said to call his cell phone only if zombies attack the Shack again and Soos can’t handle it.”

That earned another laugh from the half ghost. Across from her, Dipper was not so jovial.

Mabel tilted her head. “What’s got you down, Dip-dip?”

The boy sighed. “Mabel...I’ve gotta tell you something, something I should have first thing this morning.”

At the serious tone, Elle frowned, a spike of guilt poking her heart. 

Mabel also sobered. “What is it?”

Dipper swallowed. “Elle and I found out who the ghost haunting the Shack is and….” He trailed off.

Elle continued for him, taking a deep breath. “Mabel...it’s Tyrone.”

The girl’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean, it’s Tyrone?”

“It’s Tyrone.” Her brother said more confidently. “The ghost who’s been haunting the Shack is Tyrone.”

Mabel blinked in confusion. “Tyrone?....Your clone, Tyrone? But that’s...that’s impossible.”

“I know but...it’s him.” Dipper’s more serious expression started to crack. “I actually saw his face last night.”

The girl’s mouth fell open. “You saw him. Tyrone? Our Tyrone?”

Elle’s brow furrowed; our Tyrone? But she nodded eagerly. “I saw him yesterday too.”

“And I talked with him.” Dipper’s eyes lit up. “Or...as much as we could with body language and short phrases. But it’s really him, Mabel.”

His sister’s eyes continued to widen, her face frozen with shock. “Wow.” She whispered, excitement growing. “That’s amazing! He’s….he’s really alive?!”

Just like that, Dipper shut down. “No...He’s not...I mean...he is a ghost.”

“Oh.” Mabel looked down, face reddening with shame.

The twins’ eyes both focused down, expression heavy with sadness. It hurt Elle’s heart, to see them so subdued after Dipper’s happiness and Mabel’s growing excitement.

“You know….” Elle said kindly, trying to draw the twins out of their somber mood. “With ghosts…it’s not always as simple as dead or alive.”

Dipper frowned, eyes narrowing. “Because half ghosts are a thing?”

“Well yes but...” The halfa shrugged sheepishly. “That’s not the point. Ghosts are complicated. There are different kinds of ghosts. There’s some that are born ghosts from parents that are ghosts. There’s ghosts that just kinda spring out of the ectoplasm from emotions and thoughts and beliefs.” She swallowed. “And yeah, there are ghosts that were once living humans but...I’ve talked to some of those and….some would tell you becoming a ghost was a second chance for them. Yeah, they died and their life as a human ended but...they got to start a new life. They get to do and see things they couldn’t before. They get to find love or a family. They learn and grow and explore and...it’s not so bad.”

The boy’s nose wrinkled in thought. “Okay, I get that, I guess. But...where does Tyrone fit in all this?”

“Well...Ty never was human.” Elle said softly. “He didn’t get much of a chance to live before but...he’s here now and that’s what matters.”

For a moment, neither of the other teens responded, both studying the half ghost thoughtfully. 

Then to Elle’s surprise, Mabel spoke first. “Yeah, that is what matters.” A smile crept onto her face. “I’m actually gonna meet this Tyrone that Dipper told us all about.”

“Yeah.” Elle nodded, also smiling.

“Yeah.” Dipper parroted, though a thoughtful look remained on his face. “Elle….” He bit his lip. “Where do you fit into all of this?”

The half ghost blinked. “What?”

“With ghosts I mean. You said there are different kinds and….yesterday you told us you weren’t dead so...where do you fit?” 

The look on his face, the tone was innocently curious, not probing. But Elle’s stomach flopped with nerves all the same. Where did she fit? That was an impossible question. 

Dipper apparently noticed her anxiety. “I’m sorry. That’s personal.” His face reddened with shame. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No.” Elle shook her head. “It’s...it is personal but….I’ll tell you guys.” She sighed. “I don’t really know where I fit with other ghosts. I’ve never died. Obviously, my parents aren’t ghosts. And…I didn’t just spontaneously appear one day. Well...maybe that last one’s not completely true.” She smiled wryly. “I did kinda randomly show up in Danny’s room one day.”

Across from her, Mabel actually snorted. But Dipper blinked at her confusedly. “What are you...?”

Elle’s smile fell, realizing how weird what she just said was and...where this conversation was inevitably going. She needed to tell them the rest of the truth….and she would. Elle wrung her hands nervously before squaring her shoulders and steeling herself. “I...I didn’t tell you everything yesterday. Actually, I left out something really important but...I decided last night, I’m gonna tell you guys ‘cause I trust you and I know you won’t think any less of me because of it.”

That sobered the other girl, who’s eyes widened. “Elle…”

The half ghost held up her hand. “Let me finish before I chicken out.” She took a deep breath. “So..I told you yesterday that I’m half ghost because someone experimented on me. And that’s technically true but...it’s less I was experimented on and more...I was an experiment.” The girl paused, taking in the twin’s deeply concerned and slightly disturbed expressions. And….she was likely to make it worse.

No...the girl chastised herself. What she’s said earlier was true; she trusted Dipper and Mabel. 

“What do you mean, you were an experiment?” Dipper asked, quietly.

Elle swallowed, looking down. “I wasn’t...I wasn’t born like a normal human.” She painfully forced out the words. “I was….made in a lab.” 

Pausing, the halfa looked up to to gauge the twin’s reactions. She found Mabel staring at her with wide eyes. Dipper opened and closed his mouth in disbelief. “You were...made in a lab?”

Elle nodded in confirmation. “The bad man I told you about….his name was Vlad...he...well...he wanted a half ghost lackey to boss around. He tried to get Danny to join him but he wasn’t having it. So Vlad decided he was...kinda going to... make his own halfa. He made a bunch of clones and I’m the only one who survived... so” She trailed off. 

Again, the twins stared at her in shock.

“Dipper? Mabel?” She asked quietly.

Dipper finally reacted. “But that’s…” He put a hand on his head. “That’s crazy. That’s...How would someone do that and...why?...You said why… But….”

Mabel swallowed, looking at the girl seriously. “You mentioned Danny, again. What does he have to do with this?”

Elle frowned. Of everything to pick up from her ramble, Mabel noticed that. And that….that was the question. Because she’d barely mentioned the big thing, the big secret. Bracing herself, the girl wrung her hands. “Danny….Danny’s the person I was cloned from.”

Dipper’s startled eyes suddenly met hers. “What?”

“I’m a clone. Danny’s clone.” She said with as much confidence as she could muster.

“You’re a clone?” The boy’s jaw dropped. “A clone? Really? You’re a clone?”

Elle shivered. “Yes...you can stop saying that word now.”

“What word?...Oh…” The boy blushed. “So you’re...you’re like Tyrone.”

“Pretty much. I mean…” The girl shrugged. “I came from weird ghost science, not a magical copier but...yeah, we’re not that different.”

At that, the boy nodded. Beside him, Mabel asked. “And the person you were...cloned...” She hesitated on the word clone for a moment before continuing. “from is Danny? The one you’ve talked about and you showed me a picture of?”

Elle nodded in response.

Then Dipper frowned, stating plainly. “You told us Danny was your brother.”

The half ghost crossed her arms, glaring seriously. “He is my brother.”

“But-” The boy started.

“Look.” Elle held up a hand, cutting him off. ”Yeah, I’m his clone and he’s my original. But that doesn’t mean we’re not siblings too. Actually…” She uncrossed her arms. “We’re siblings first...because we’ve chosen to be. That’s more important than where I came from or how we meet.”

Elle paused, letting her friends take in her honest words. She meant every one. While her origin did matter, she was not just a clone. She was a sister, a daughter, and a friend. Having a family, being a Fenton was vastly important to her, a vital part of who she was. And it was one that she’d chosen; she and Danny had chosen to call each other siblings instead of cousins. The Fenton parents had chosen to take her in and she had chosen to accept.

A deep thoughtful look crossed Dipper’s face at the words, his expression softening. She could almost see wheels turning in his head as he considered her words. And maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t just thinking about her but how this related to his own situation with a certain clone.

After a while, Mabel asked. “How did you and Danny meet?”

“Well...that’s an interesting story….” With that, Elle expanded on the story she told yesterday. She properly explained how she met Danny and how they escaped from Vlad together. Looking down, she talked about her time living on the streets and worst of all...the time she almost destabilized.

Mabel’s eyes widened. “Elle...that is horrible. I am so sorry.”

“It’s fine.” The other girl waved her off. “I’m okay now. Danny figured out how to stabilize me.”

“But...you almost melted.” Dipper covered his mouth, a haunted look in his eyes. “No wonder you were so upset about what happened to my clones.”

“Yeah.” Elle agreed numbly. “I uh...I know from experience. Melting’s horrible whether it’s happening to you or you’re watching it happen to someone else.” She shivered again at the statement, her mind momentarily drifting with what happened to her clone siblings. She wrung her hands. “Like I said, I wasn’t the only one. None of us were stable but...I’m the only one left.”

Mabel gave Elle a compassionate look while Dipper’s eyes flickered down. “And you saw….?”

“Yeah.” Elle swallowed. “I was there when all of them, all of my clone brothers,...died.” 

The boy looked up, sorrowful but kind eyes meeting hers. “I know it doesn’t make it better but...I’m sorry that happened and...I’m sorry you had to see it.”

“Yeah.” The half ghost wrapped her arms around herself. “It still hurts sometimes but...all I can do is remember them, honor them, and...I guess, try to live since they didn’t get the chance tp.” She let a small smile crept onto her face. “I like to think they’d be proud of me, if they could see me now.”

“They would be.” Mabel said with conviction. “Your brothers would be so happy for you if they knew.”

Elle nodded, trying her best to believe. It still hurt, talking about all of this but...having Dipper and Mabel to listen was helping.

The half ghost continued explaining the journey that led her to living with the Fentons. “So Danny told Mom and Dad about his powers and introduced me. And now I live in Amity Park with them.” Elle’s story ended and she waited for Dipper and Mabel to respond. Despite their favorable reactions, her heart still fluttered with nerves. “So...what do you guys think?”

Dipper and Mabel both seemed to notice the uncertainty in her voice, based on the concerned looks they traded with each other. 

Mabel addressed Elle first. “I think you’re really brave, after going through all that.” She gave the halfa a smile. “And I still think you’re really cool.” 

Elle sighed. “Well that’s a relief.” She tried to sound casual, like it was a joke but her tone gave her lingering anxiety away.

Across from her, Dipper swallowed. He addressed her seriously.. “Elle...I remember what you said earlier. We don’t think any less of you, because you told us the truth.”

“Yeah.” Mabel shrugged. “You’re still you...even if there’s more to you than we thought. And you’re still our friend.”

“Really?” Elle asked hopefully.

“Of course.” The other girl said, like it was the most obvious thing.

Dipper nodded. “You’re our friend. And…” The boy bit his lip. “I’m happy you told us. I think I get more why you reacted to the Copier like you did.” He looked down. “Everything I told you, everything I did with the machine. It must sound really awful, considering….your origin.”

“Yeah….” The half ghost rubbed the back of her neck. “Anything about clones is a sore subject for me. And hearing everything that happened was...well...it was not fun.” She wrinkled her nose before her expression softened. “But...you’ve learned since then and I saw how you were with Tyrone.”

“Yeah, I have learned.” Dipper agreed, sounding more confident. “And thanks for helping me see. What you said about Tyrone not being just a copy...well...I already told you.”

Mabel looked at her brother curiously but didn’t comment on that. Instead she excitedly interjected. “Speaking of Tyrone...when do I get to meet him?”

“And what was that idea you had, to make it so everyone can see and hear him completely?” Dipper added.

Elle nodded. “So I was talking to my brother and he thought…..”

* * *

With that, the half ghost explained the plan she’s come up with as the trio finally finished their breakfast.

“Come on! Let’s go!” Mabel practically jumped out of her seat as soon as the rest of her pancakes were gone. “Come on!”

The trio headed up the stairs and to Elle’s room, where the girl opened the door with a flourish.

“Tyrone?” The halfa called.

A moment later, the ghost materialized, form as misty as before.

Mabel squinted at the ghost boy. “Is that him?”

“Yes.” Elle nodded.

The other girl grinned. “Hi Tyrone!”

The ghost boy waved eagerly and again, Elle could imagine his bright smile.

Dipper finally spoke up. “Why are you back to looking…. like that?”

“Oh yeah.” His sister nodded. “You said you could see his face last night.”

Tyrone said something but his explanation was lost in static.

Elle sighed. “Danny thought it was because yesterday was his DeathDay and traditional ghosts are stronger on the anniversary of their death. But…” She held up the ectoplasm. “This should help. You should be stronger than ever if it works.” She turned towards Dipper and Mabel, jabing a thumb in the other ghost’s direction. “Earlier, I was trying to convince this one to give it a try.” 

Dipper raised a brow at his clone. “It can’t actually hurt, right?”

The ghost shrugged before shaking his head.

“So you’ll try it?” Mabel asked hopefully. The ghost boy nodded, now more confidently, earning a grin from the girl. “Great!” 

Elle also smiled. “You can absorb it through your skin so I can just pour it on you unless….” The half ghost held the vial out to Dipper. “Do you want to do the honors?”

Tentatively, the boy took it. “Alright.” He took a step towards the other boy. “Here goes nothing.”

Anticipation seemed to swirl through the room. In front of his original, Tyrone tensed, bracing himself as the other boy tipped the vial over with a similar tense posture. Mabel looked between the pair with wide, eager eyes. Elle held her breath as the ectoplasm touched the other ghost’s head. The substance dripped down and Tyrone’s dim aura brightened. Then there was a flash of light.

Elle covered her face on reflex at the brightness. Nearby, Dipper squeaked startledly and Mabel gasped. There was a long silent pause. 

“Did it...did it work?” Someone said. No, not just someone. The voice was young, male, and...echoing.

Elle’s eyes popped open, her gaze falling on Tyrone’s face, his now very visible face. The other ghost’s eyes were pinched closed, his shoulders raised. 

“Did it work?” Tyrone asked again.

The half ghost’s mouth fell open. His voice….it sounded different from the few times she’d heard it before. It was more….physical, like actual sound waves traveling through the air and into her ears. Less like pure thought and emotions telepathically communicated straight to her brain. (It was so weird that she could tell the difference between those things.)

Across from his clone, Dipper wore a similar expression of shock. Numbly, he nodded in response to the question.

Tyrone noticed, his eyes meeting the other boy’s. “Can you hear me?”

Again, Dipper nodded, this time more enthusiastically.

The ghost boy grinned. “You can understand me. You can understand me! Dipper!” He put his arms up, eyes flittering to the other Pines sibling and grinning. “Mabel! I think it worked!” In his growing excitement, Tyrone grabbed one of Dipper’s and one of Mabel’s arms.

The other boy’s eyes lit up as he looked at where his clone was touching him. 

“I can’t believe this!” Mabel exclaimed.

At the same time, Dipper was mystified. “It worked.” He met Tyrone’s eyes again, his own excitement growing.

“Dipper! Tyrone! It worked!” The girl yelled as she took the human boy’s hand and started jumping in excitement.

Dipper and Tyrone both laughed. The clone grinned as he shifted his grip to hold one of Dipper and one of Mabel’s hands. He started jumping as well and Dipper joined a moment later. Soon all three were jumping up and down, all chanting. “It worked! It worked!” 

Elle smiled, watching the elated reaction as the three celebrated with exclamations of pure joy and laughter. They spun, almost dancing in something reminiscent of children playing ring around the rosie. Dipper ran into the bed and fell onto it all the while laughing even as Mabel fell into him. Tyrone dipped forward with the force of gravity but let go of the other teens’ hands. Floating, he darted in front of Elle.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” The ghostly clone threw his arms around her, still jumping.

The half ghost joined in, starting to laugh as well. “Ty! It worked!”

A moment later, Dipper hopped up beside the pair. He threw one arm around Elle and one around Tyrone, forming a group hug. “Yeah! Thank you so much Elle!”

The girl grinned, more at seeing her friends so happy than the praise itself. It had worked! Not only did Tyrone look fully solid and visible, he was fully tangible. Hugging him didn’t feel like touching mist but instead like hugging an actual person. He wasn’t warm of course; the ever present cold and electricity that came with touching a ghost was present. But he was here and he could touch and be touched. He could be fully seen without distortion. Though his body and clothes had a very faint blue tint, possibly from his much more visible aura, he looked very human for a ghost and very much like Dipper’s clone. And finally, she could understand him. His words actually came out as English! 

Mabel’s voice interrupted Elle’s thought. “Tyrone?” The girl questioned. Though her lips turned up in a smile, her voice was more serious.

The ghost boy turned, suddenly nervous at the girl’s change on tone. “Yeah?”

“You’re really him? The clone Dipper told us about?” Mabel questioned, her eyes shining with a mix of emotions.

“Yeah, I guess….” The clone said, rubbing the back of his neck. Then he lowered his hand. “Dipper told you about me?” He asked, slightly mystified.

“Yeah. Of course I did.” The living boy said softly.

Tyrone nodded, understanding dawning on his face. “Of course you did. You tell Mabel everything.” He then blushed at the strangely personal statement. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. ” Dipper shrugged. “You’re right.” Then he turned more serious. “But actually...I told her because you’re important to me, Ty.”

The ghost boy’s face softened. “Really?” 

The other boy nodded. “Yeah.”

“You’re important to me too.” Mabel interjected, confidently through her voice wavered with emotion.

Tyrone turned to her, eyes wide. “What?”

“You’re important to me, Tyrone.” Mabel took a step forward, hesitating a moment before practically leaping forward to wrap the ghost boy in a bear hug. 

The ghostly clone’s eyes widened even more. “Mabel?”

The girl tightened her hold. “I thought...I thought I’d never get to meet you, bro-bro.” Her words rang with affection and just a hint of sadness.

The clone’s widened with something that could be hurt as he sputtered “Mabel. I’m...I’m not your...”

“Of course you are.” The other teen pulled back, enough to see his face. “You’re my brother.” She said, like it was the most obvious thing. “You’re my bro-bro, just like Dipper is.” Mabel smiled kindly. “I’ve got two brothers now.”

Tyrone blinked, totally bewildered. He opened and closed his mouth before muttering in disbelief. “You….you mean that?”

The girl nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. I mean that. You’re my brother and I’m your sister...if you want us to be.” 

The clone also nodded eagerly. “Yes, I want that! Of course I do! But….” He glanced nervously at Dipper.

The still living boy walked forward. He gently placed one hand on Tyrone’s and one hand on Mabel’s arm. “I like that word, brother.” Though he bit his lip anxiously, he sounded sincere. “I think….I’d rather call you that, than my clone.”

Tyrone’s eyes widened as he asked hopefully. “Your….brother?”

“My brother.” He nodded. “We’re brothers.” 

“Brothers…” The clone mused, his eyes shining with happiness. “I liked that. I really liked that.”

Tyrone leaned forward to wrap one arm around Dipper and one around Mabel. The three newly minted siblings collapsed into a group hug on the floor, laughing and muttering loving comforts to each other.

“I’m really happy to finally meet you.” Mabel said.

Tyrone agreed. “And I’m happy to meet you properly.”

She laughed. “Yeah. Two days ago doesn’t really count, Misty.” Her voice pitched up, teasingly.

The ghost boy groaned in somewhat mock annoyance. “No, Mabel! You can’t call me that.”

The girl grinned. “That’s not what you said, then.”

Tyrone rolled his eyes. “Well, it’s not like I could actually tell you guys my real name.”

“Dude, let it go. You know she’s never gonna give that one up.” Dipper added, with a hint of humor.

“Dipper! You’re supposed to be on my side.” The other boy argued.

The living boy held up his hands. “Not this time, Misty.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

Tyrone groaned, putting his head in his hands. “You two are the worst.”

The three bantered back and forth. And again, Elle watched the scene with a smile. It was a beautiful reunion. And….her heart clenched as she remembered being in a similar situation. The first time she met Jazz and the girl called her, her sister. That was the first time she’d called Danny her brother and the older halfa confessed that he’d been thinking of her as his sister for a long time.

And Elle couldn’t help but think what she’d said earlier had had an effect as the trio’s conversation continued without her.

“I guess I should have told you last night but...I know you’re not me, Tyrone.” Dipper said sincerely. “You’re your own person and I…” His lips turned up in a smile. “I look forward to learning who exactly that is.”

“Me too.” Tyrone agreed, eyes shining with gratitude. “And...thank you Dipper. You don’t know how much that means to me.”

“Well….you know I’m happy to get to know you too.” Mabel shrugged. “And I meant what I said; I want us to be siblings.” She grinned. “We can be triplets now.”

“Triplets..” The ghost hummed in thought. He squeezed the girl in a side hug. “Yeah….Thanks Mabel.” The girl nodded. Then Tyrone met Elle’s eyes. “And thank you Elle.”

Dipper and Mabel also looked up at her. 

“Yeah. Thank you.” Dipper said. “We wouldn’t have figured any of this out, without you.”

“That’s not true.” The half ghost waved off his praise.

“Yes it is.” The human boy insisted. “You brought us together.”

“And….you helped me see I’m not alone.” Tyrone blushed. “It’s nice to know there’s someone like me out there.”

Elle’s eyes softened, understanding his meaning. Slowly she lowered herself to the floor. “Yeah. I...I’m happy to not be alone. You guys accept me and….I’m glad to have you guys as friends.” 

“Friends.” Tyrone agreed. 

The ghost held an arm out to Elle and the girl let herself join the group hug with the siblings. In her chest, her core hummed with happiness. She’s helped Tyrone reunite with his new found siblings and find his way on to the material plan. And though the ectoplasm supplement was a temporary solution (and there was the question of what would happen after the summer was over), with her parent’s expertise, Grunkle Ford’s ingenuity, and Dipper and Mabel’s determination, they’d find a way. 

As for herself, Elle finally had friends. Tyrone, who was a clone like her and intimately understood some of the hardships of being a clone- they’d have to talk more later now that he could. Dipper whom she’d shared secrets with and who had shared ones in return. And Mabel, whose positive, fun-loving, and accepting attitude encouraged her. Elle sighed; she really was lucky, not to be friends with normal kids, but with these three accepted her as she was- her crazy family, ghost powers, clone weirdness and all.


End file.
